How  the  King  found  the  girl  playing  at  ball  in  the  orchard." 


THE 

LILAC   FAIRY   BOOK 


EDITED  BY 

ANDEEW  LANG 


WITH  6  COLOURED  PLATES  AND 
NUMEBOUS  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  H.  J.  FORD 


LONGMANS,  GEEEN,  AND  CO. 

39  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  LONDON 
NEW  YORK,  BOMBAY,  AND  CALCUTTA 

1910 
All    rights    reserved 


PEE FACE 

'  WHAT  cases  are  you  engaged  in  at  present  ?  '  '  Are 
you  stopping  many  teeth  just  now  ?  '  '  What  people 
have  you  converted  lately  ? '  Do  ladies  put  these 
questions  to  the  men — lawyers,  dentists,  clergymen,  and 
so  forth — who  happen  to  sit  next  them  at  dinner  parties  ? 
I  do  not  know  whether  ladies  thus  indicate  their 
interest  in  the  occupations  of  their  casual  neighbours 
at  the  hospitable  board.  But  if  they  do  not  know  me, 
or  do  not  know  me  well,  they  generally  ask  '  Are  you 
writing  anything  now  ?  '  (as  if  they  should  ask  a  painter 
'  Are  you  painting  anything  now  ?  '  or  a  lawyer  '  Have 
you  any  cases  at  present  ?  ').  Sometimes  they  are  more 
definite  and  inquire  '  What  are  you  writing  now  ?  '  as 
if  I  must  be  writing  something — which,  indeed,  is  the 
case,  though  I  dislike  being  reminded  of  it.  It  is  an 
awkward  question,  because  the  fair  being  does  not  care 
a  bawbee  what  I  am  writing  ;  nor  would  she  be  much 
enlightened  if  I  replied  '  Madam,  I  am  engaged  on  a 
treatise  intended  to  prove  that  Normal  is  prior  to 
Conceptional  Totemism  ' — though  that  answer  would 
be  as  true  in  fact  as  obscure  in  significance.  The  best 
plan  seems  to  be  to  answer  that  I  have  entirely  aban- 
doned mere  literature,  and  am  contemplating  a  book 
on  '  The  Causes  of  Early  Blight  in  the  Potato,'  a 

20C9972 


vi  PREFACE 

melancholy  circumstance  which  threatens  to  deprive 
us  of  our  chief  esculent  root.  The  inquirer  would  never 
be  undeceived.  One  nymph  who,  like  the  rest,  could 
not  keep  off  the  horrid  topic  of  my  occupation,  said 
*  You  never  write  anything  but  fairy  books,  do  you  ? ' 
A  French  gentleman,  too,  an  educationist  and  expert 
in  portraits  of  Queen  Mary,  once  sent  me  a  newspaper 
article  in  which  he  had  written  that  I  was  exclusively 
devoted  to  the  composition  of  fairy  books,  and  nothing 
else.  He  then  came  to  England,  visited  me,  and  found 
that  I  knew  rather  more  about  portraits  of  Queen  Mary 
than  he  did. 

In  truth  I  never  did  write  any  fairy  books  in  my 
life,  except  '  Prince  Prigio,'  '  Prince  Ricardo,'  and 
'  Tales  from  a  Fairy  Court ' — that  of  the  aforesaid 
Prigio.  I  take  this  opportunity  of  recommending  these 
fairy  books — poor  things,  but  my  own — to  parents  and 
guardians  who  may  never  have  heard  of  them.  They 
are  rich  in  romantic  adventure,  and  the  Princes  always 
marry  the  right  Princesses  and  live  happy  ever  after- 
wards ;  while  the  wicked  witches,  stepmothers,  tutors 
and  governesses  are  never  cruelly  punished,  but  retire 
to  the  country  on  ample  pensions.  I  hate  cruelty  : 
I  never  put  a  wicked  stepmother  in  a  barrel  and  send 
her  tobogganing  down  a  hill.  It  is  true  that  Prince 
Ricardo  did  kill  the  Yellow*  Dwarf  ;  but  that  was  in  fair 
fight,  sword  in  hand,  and  the  dwarf,  peace  to  his  ashes  ! 
died  in  harness. 

The  object  of  these  confessions  is  not  only  that  of 
advertising  my  own  fairy  books  (which  are  not  '  out  of 
print '  ;  if  your  bookseller  says  so,  the  truth  is  not  in 
him),  but  of  giving  credit  where  credit  is  due.  The 


PREFACE  vii 

fairy  books  have  been  almost  wholly  the  work  of  Mrs. 
Lang,  who  has  translated  and  adapted  them  from  the 
French,  German,  Portuguese,  Italian,  Spanish,  Catalan, 
and  other  languages. 

My  part  has  been  that  of  Adam,  according  to  Mark 
Twain,  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  Eve  worked,  Adam 
superintended.  I  also  superintend.  I  find  out  where 
the  stories  are,  and  advise,  and,  in  short,  superintend. 
/  do  not  write  the  stories  out  of  my  own  head.  The  reputa- 
tion of  having  written  all  the  fairy  books  (an  European 
reputation  in  nurseries  and  the  United  States  of 
America)  is  '  the  burden  of  an  honour  unto  which  I 
was  not  born.'  It  weighs  upon  and  is  killing  me,  as 
the  general  fash  of  being  the  wife  of  the  Lord  of  Bur- 
leigh,  Burleigh  House  by  Stamford  Town,  was  too  much 
for  the  village  maiden  espoused  by  that  peer. 

Nobody  really  wrote  most  of  the  stories.  People  told 
them  in  all  parts  of  the  world  long  before  Egyptian 
hieroglyphics  or  Cretan  signs  or  Cyprian  syllabaries,  or 
alphabets  were  invented.  They  are  older  than  reading 
and  writing,  and  arose  like  wild  flowers  before  men  had 
any  education  to  quarrel  over.  The  grannies  told  them 
to  the  grandchildren,  and  when  the  grandchildren  be- 
came grannies  they  repeated  the  same  old  tales  to  the 
new  generation.  Homer  knew  the  stories  and  made  up 
the  '  Odyssey  '  out  of  half  a  dozen  of  them.  All  the 
history  of  Greece  till  about  800  B.C.  is  a  string  of  the  fairy 
tales,  all  about  Theseus  and  Heracles  and  Oedipus  and 
Minos  and  Perseus  is  a  Cabinet  des  Fees,  a  collection  of 
fairy  tales.  Shakespeare  took  them  and  put  bits  of 
them  into  '  King  Lear  '  and  other  plays  ;  he  could  not 
have  made  them  up  himself,  great  as  he  was.  Let 


viii  PREFACE 

ladies  and  gentlemen  think  of  this  when  they  sit  down 
to  write  fairy  tales,  and  have  them  nicely  typed,  and 
send  them  to  Messrs.  Longman  &  Co.  to  be  published. 
They  think  that  to  write  a  new  fairy  tale  is  easy  work. 
They  are  mistaken  :  the  thing  is  impossible.  Nobody 
can  write  a  new  fairy  tale  ;  you  can  only  mix  up  and  dress 
up  the  old,  old  stories,  and  put  the  characters  into  new- 
dresses,  as  Miss  Thackeray  did  so  well  in  '  Five  Old 
Friends.'  If  any  big  girl  of  fourteen  reads  this  preface, 
let  her  insist  on  being  presented  with  '  Five  Old  Friends.' 

But  the  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  authors  who  try 
to  write  new  fairy  tales  are  very  tiresome.  They  always 
begin  with  a  little  boy  or  girl  who  goes  out  and  meets 
the  fairies  of  polyanthuses  and  gardenias  and  apple 
blossoms  :  '  Flowers  and  fruits,  and  other  winged  things.' 
These  fairies  try  to  be  funny,  and  fail ;  or  they  try  to 
preach,  and  succeed.  Real  fairies  never  preach  or  talk 
slang.  At  the  end,  the  little  boy  or  girl  wakes  up  and 
finds  that  he  has  been  dreaming. 

Such  are  the  new  fairy  stories.  May  we  be  pre- 
served from  all  the  sort  of  them  ! 

Our  stories  are  almost  all  old,  some  from  Ireland, 
before  that  island  wras  as  celebrated  for  her  wrongs  as 
for  her  verdure ;  some  from  Asia,  made,  I  dare  say, 
before  the  Aryan  invasion  ;  some  from  Moydart,  Knoy- 
dart,  Morar  and  Ardnamurchan,  where  the  sea  streams 
run  like  great  clear  rivers  and  the  saw-edged  hills  are 
blue,  and  men  remember  Prince  Charlie.  Some  are 
from  Portugal,  where  the  golden  fruits  grow  in  the 
Garden  of  the  Hesperides  ;  and  some  are  from  wild 
Wales,  and  were  told  at  Arthur's  Court ;  and  others 
come  from  the  firesides  of  the  kinsmen  of  the  Welsh,  the 


PREFACE  ix 

Bretons.  There  are  also  modern  tales  by  a  learned 
Scandinavian  named  Topelius. 

All  the  stories  were  translated  or  adapted  by  Mrs. 
Lang,  except  '  The  Jogi's  Punishment '  and  '  Moti,'  done 
by  Major  Campbell  out  of  the  Pushtoo  language  ;  '  How 
Brave  Walter  hunted  Wolves,'  which,  with  '  Little 
Lasse  '  and  '  The  Raspberry  Worm,'  was  done  from 
Topelius  by  Miss  Harding  ;  and  '  The  Sea  King's  Gift,' 
by  Miss  Christie,  from  the  same  author. 

It  has  been  suggested  to  the  Editor  that  children  and 
parents  and  guardians  would  like  '  The  Grey  True 
Ghost-Story  Book.'  He  knows  that  the  children  would 
like  it  well,  and  he  would  gladly  give  it  to  them  ;  but 
about  the  taste  of  fond  anxious  mothers  and  kind 
aunts  he  is  not  quite  so  certain.  Before  he  was  twelve 
the  Editor  knew  true  ghost  stories  enough  to  fill  a 
volume.  They  were  a  pure  joy  till  bedtime,  but  then, 
and  later,  were  not  wholly  a  source  of  unmixed  pleasure. 
At  that  time  the  Editor  was  not  afraid  of  the  dark,  for 
he  thought,  '  If  a  ghost  is  here,  we  can't  see  him.'  But 
when  older  and  better  informed  persons  said  that 
ghosts  brought  their  own  light  with  them  (which  is  too 
true),  then  one's  emotions  were  such  as  parents  do  not 
desire  the  young  to  endure.  For  this  reason  '  The  Grey 
True  Ghost-Story  Book  '  is  never  likely  to  be  illustrated 
by  Mr.  Ford. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Shifty  Lad 1 

The  False  Prince  and  the  True 22 

The  Jogi's  Punishment      .......  31 

The  Heart  of  a  Monkey 42 

The  Fairy  Nurse 54 

A  Lost  Paradise 62 

How  Brave  Walter  Hunted  Wolves 67 

The  King  of  the  Waterfalls 75 

A  French  PucTc 91 

The  Three  Crowns 95 

The  Story  of  a  Very  Bad  Boy 110 

The  Brown  Bear  of  Norway 118 

Little  Lasse 132 

•Moti' 141 

The  Enchanted  Deer 151 

A  Fish  Story 162 

The  Wonderful  Tune 165 

The  Rich  Brother  and  the  Poor  Brother      .        .         ,     .  173 

The  One-Handed  Girl 185 

The  Bones  of  Djulung 209 

The  Sea  King's  Gift 216 

The  Raspberry  Worm            229 

The  Stones  of  Plouhinec 237 


xii  CONTENTS 

PAOK 

The  Castle  of  Kerglaa 245 

The  Battle  of  the  Birds .262 

The  Lady  of  the  Fountain 279 

The  Four  Gifts 299 

The  Groac'hofthe  Isle  of  LoTt 310 

The  Escape  of  the  Mouse 322 

The  Believing  Husbands 332 

The  Hoodie-Crow 336 

The  Brownie  of  the  Lake 341 

The  Winning  of  Olwen 349 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


COLOURED    PLATES 

(Engraved  and  Printed  6y  Andr6  &  Sleigh,  Ltd.,  Bushey) 

How  the  King  found  the  girl  playing  at 

ball  in  the  orchard Frontispiece 

When  she  stood   upright   her   ugliness  had 

all  gone  .  • To  face  p.      76 

The    Sea-lady   allures    Maurice    the  Piper 

into  the  sea         ......  „  170 

PeronniJc  in  the  Vale  of  Pleasure  ...  „  256 

How  Owen  was  found  by  the  lake      .        .  „          292 

Indeed  I  will  wed  thee;    a  pretty  creature 

is  the  Hoodie  ...  .  „          336 


FULL-PAGE   PLATES 

The  shoe  in  the  road 

How  the  black  rogue  was  tricked  .  .  . 
The  child  finds  out  the  truth  .... 
How  the  shifty  lad  was  hung  on  Dublin 

Bridge      ........ 

Unhappily  the  hermit  was  not  really  as  holy 

as  he  seemed         ...... 

The  Princess  released  from  the  box  .  .  . 
How  John  got  his  wife  back  from  the 

fairies          ....... 


To  face  p. 


6 
10 
14 

18 

32 
36 

58 


xiv  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  giant's  shadow To  face  p.  86 

Seven  Inches  carries  away  the  princesses  .  „  96 

Down  went  the  two  bridegrooms  ...  „  104 

The  Princess  loses  her  first  baby  ...  „  120 

'  Four  long  years  I  was  married  to  thee  ;  '  „  128 

How  the  girl  lost  her  hand  ....  „  188 

The  King's  son  finds  the  girl  in  the  tree  .  „  192 

*  My  baby,  my  baby !' „  198 

The  lady  in  black  slays  Bogear  the  magician  „  259 

How  the  king's  son  fetched  the  magpie's  eggs  „  268 
How  Owen  first  saw  the  Countess  of  the 

Fountain      .......  „  286 

Kilwch  arrives  at  the  gate  of  Arthur's 

palace „  350 

Fair  Olwen  arrives  .  356 


ILLUSTRATIONS   IN   TEXT 


PAGE 


The  quarrel  in  the  Tennis  Court       .....  23 

The  terrible  end  of  the  Jogi           .         .         .         ,         .     .  40 

The  monkey  feeds  the  shark      ......  43 

The  monkey  has  a  ride  ........  46 

The  donkey  expected  the  lion  would  speak  of  tJieir 

marriage         .........  49 

The  fairies  go  off  with  the  farmer's  wife     .         .         .     .  55 

How  the  Queen  brings  the  shaggy  brown  horse  to  the 

Sing        ..........  79 

In  came  Seven  Inches  hand  in  hand  with  the  youngest 

sister  ...........  99 

He  will  make  a  splendid  ram    ......  112 

Some  one  at  last  awaked  Moti      ......  146 

Instead  of  a  deer  a   woman  with  long  black  hair  was 

standing  there         .....                           .  152 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 

PAGE 

She   combed    his   ha/ir   with    a  golden  comb,    but   his 

eyes  opened  not 155 

How  the  fish  got  into  the  water          .....  163 

The  one-handed  girl  befriends  a  snake          .        ,        .     ,  197 

The  girl  asks  the  snakes  for  the  ring  and  casket      ,        .  204 

The  little  girl  and  Djulung-djulung 210 

How  the  iron  tree  bowed  down  and  the  girl  gave  of  its 

leaves  and  flowers  to  the  king    .        .        .        ,        .     .  214 

How  the  sea-fairies  brought  a  coiv  for  Male    .         .        .  223 

How  Lisa  and  Aina  met  the  Raspberry  King       .         .     .  233 

How  Peronnik  tricked  the  Viper-maned  Lion            .         ,  254 

How  the  king's  son  saved  the  raven  from  the  snake          .  263 

So  the  giant  was  drowned  in  the  middle  of  the  lake .         .  275 

Kynon  meets  with  the  black  master  of  the  beasts.         .     .  281 

*  Come  lawyer,  come  tailor,  come  miller,  come  singer '      .  314 

How  Bellah  found  Korandon 318 

The  Stag  of  Bedynvre  brings  the  Seven  Companions  to 

the  Owl  of  Cwm  Cawlwyd 366 


THE  SHIFTY  LAD 

IN  the  land  of  Erin  there  dwelt  long  ago  a  widow  who 
had  an  only  son.  He  was  a  clever  boy,  so  she  saved  up 
enough  money  to  send  him  to  school,  and,  as  soon  as  he 
was  old  enough,  to  apprentice  him  to  any  trade  that  he 
would  choose.  But  when  the  time  came,  he  said  he 
would  not  be  bound  to  any  trade,  and  that  he  meant  to 
be  a  thief. 

Now  his  mother  was  very  sorrowful  when  she  heard 
of  this,  but  she  knew  quite  well  that  if  she  tried  to  stop 
his  having  his  own  way  he  would  only  grow  more 
determined  to  get  it.  So  all  the  answrer  she  made  was 
that  the  end  of  thieves  was  hanging  at  the  bridge  of 
Dublin,  and  then  she  left  him  alone,  hoping  that  when 
he  was  older  he  might  become  more  sensible. 

One  day  she  was  going  to  church  to  hear  a  sermon 
from  a  great  preacher,  and  she  begged  the  Shifty  Lad, 
as  the  neighbours  called  him  from  the  tricks  he  played, 
to  come  with  her.  But  he  only  laughed  and  declared 
that  he  did  not  like  sermons,  adding  : 

'  However,  I  will  promise  you  this,  that  the  first 
trade  you  hear  named  after  you  come  out  from  church 
shall  be  my  trade  for  the  rest  of  my  life.' 

These  words  gave  a  little  comfort  to  the  poor  woman, 
and  her  heart  was  lighter  than  before  as  she  bade  him 
farewell. 

When  the  Shifty  Lad  thought  that  the  hour  had 
nearly  come  for  the  sermon  to  be  over,  he  hid  himself  in 
some  bushes  in  a  little  path  that  led  straight  to  his 
mother's  house,  and  as  she  passed  along,  thinking  of  all 

L  B 


2  THE  SHIFTY   LAD 

the  good  things  she  had  heard,  a  voice  shouted  close 
to  her  ear  '  Robbery  !  Robbery  !  Robbery  !  '  The 
suddenness  of  it  made  her  jump.  The  naughty  boy  had 
managed  to  change  his  voice,  so  that  she  did  not  know 
it  for  his,  and  he  had  concealed  himself  so  well  that, 
though  she  peered  about  all  round  her,  she  could  see  no 
one.  As  soon  as  she  had  turned  the  corner  the  Shifty 
Lad  came  out,  and  by  running  very  fast  through  the 
wood  he  contrived  to  reach  home  before  his  mother,  who 
found  him  stretched  out  comfortably  before  the  fire. 

'  Well,  have  you  got  any  news  to  tell  me  ?  '  asked 
he. 

'  No,  nothing  ;  for  I  left  the  church  at  once,  and 
did  not  stop  to  speak  to  anyone.' 

'  Oh,  then  no  one  has  mentioned  a  trade  to  you  ?  ' 
he  said  in  tones  of  disappointment. 

'  Ye — es,'  she  replied  slowly.  '  At  least,  as  I  walked 
down  the  path  a  voice  cried  out  "  Robbery  !  Robbery  ! 
Robbery  !  "  but  that  was  all.' 

'  And  quite  enough  too,'  answered  the  boy.  '  What 
did  I  tell  you  ?  That  is  going  to  be  my  trade.' 

'  Then  your  end  will  be  hanging  at  the  bridge  of 
Dublin,'  said  she.  But  there  was  no  sleep  for  her  that 
night,  for  she  lay  in  the  dark  thinking  about  her  son. 

'  If  he  is  to  be  a  thief  at  all,  he  had  better  be  a  good 
one.  And  who  is  there  that  can  teach  Mm  ?  '  the 
mother  asked  herself.  But  an  idea  came  to  her,  and 
she  arose  early,  before  the  sun  was  up,  and  set  off  for  the 
home  of  the  Black  Rogue,  or  Gallows  Bird,  who  was 
such  a  wonderful  thief  that,  though  all  had  been  robbed 
by  him,  no  one  could  catch  him. 

*  Good-morning  to  you,'  said  the  woman  as  she 
reached  the  place  where  the  Black  Gallows  Bird  lived 
when  he  was  not  away  on  his  business.  '  My  son  has  a 
fancy  to  learn  your  trade.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to 
teach  him  ?  ' 


'  If  he  is  clever,  I  don't  mind  trying,'  answered  the 
Black  Gallows  Bird  ;  '  and,  of  course,  if  any  one  can 
turn  him  into  a  first-rate  thief,  it  is  I.  But  if  he  is 
stupid,  it  is  of  no  use  at  all ;  I  can't  bear  stupid  people.' 

'  No,  he  isn't  stupid,'  said  the  woman  with  a  sigh. 
'  So  to-night,  after  dark,  I  will  send  him  to  you.' 

The  Shifty  Lad  jumped  for  joy  when  his  mother  told 
him  where  she  had  been. 

'  I  will  become  the  best  thief  in  all  Erin  !  '  he  cried, 
and  paid  no  heed  when  his  mother  shook  her  head  and 
murmured  something  about  '  the  bridge  of  Dublin.' 

Every  evening  after  dark  the  Shifty  Lad  went  to  the 
home  of  the  Black  Gallows  Bird,  and  many  were  the 
new  tricks  he  learned.  By-and-by  he  was  allowed  to 
go  out  with  the  Bird  and  watch  him  at  work,  and  at 
last  there  came  a  day  when  his  master  thought  that  he 
had  grown  clever  enough  to  help  in  a  big  robbery. 

'  There  is  a  rich  farmer  up  there  on  the  hill,  who  has 
just  sold  all  his  fat  cattle  for  much  money  and  has 
bought  some  lean  ones  which  will  cost  him  little.  Now 
it  happens  that,  while  he  has  received  the  money  for  the 
fat  cattle,  he  has  not  yet  paid  the  price  of  the  thin  ones, 
which  he  has  in  the  cowhouse.  To-morrow  he  will  go 
to  the  market  with  the  money  in  his  hand,  so  to-night  we 
must  get  at  the  chest.  When  all  is  quiet  wre  will  hide 
in  the  loft.' 

There  was  no  moon,  and  it  was  the  night  of  Hallow- 
e'en, and  everyone  was  burning  nuts  and  catching  apples 
in  a  tub  of  water  with  their  hands  tied,  and  playing  all 
sorts  of  other  games,  till  the  Shifty  Lad  grew  quite  tired 
of  waiting  for  them  to  get  to  bed.  The  Black  Gallows 
Bird,  who  was  more  accustomed  to  the  business,  tucked 
himself  up  on  the  hay  and  went  to  sleep,  telling  the  boy 
to  wake  him  when  the  merry-makers  had  departed. 
But  the  Shifty  Lad,  who  could  keep  still  no  longer, 
crept  down  to  the  cowshed  and  loosened  the  heads  of 
the  cattle  which  were  tied,  and  they  began  to  kick  each 

B2 


4  THE  SHIFTY  LAD 

other  and  bellow,  and  made  such  a  noise  that  the  com- 
pany in  the  farmhouse  ran  out  to  tie  them  up  again. 
Then  the  Shifty  Lad  entered  the  room  and  picked  up  a 
big  handful  of  nuts,  and  returned  to  the  loft,  where  the 
Black  Rogue  was  still  sleeping.  At  first  the  Shifty  Lad 
shut  his  eyes  too,  but  very  soon  he  sat  up,  and,  taking  a 
big  needle  and  thread  from  his  pocket,  he  sewed  the 
hem  of  the  Black  Gallows  Bird's  coat  to  a  heavy  piece 
of  bullock's  hide  that  was  hanging  at  his  back. 

By  this  time  the  cattle  were  all  tied  up  again,  but  as 
the  people  could  not  find  their  nuts  they  sat  round  the 
fire  and  began  to  tell  stories. 

'  I  will  crack  a  nut,'  said  the  Shifty  Lad. 

'  You  shall  not,'  cried  the  Black  Gallows  Bird  ; 
'  they  will  hear  you.' 

'  I  don't  care,'  answered  the  Shifty  Lad.  '  I  never 
spent  Hallowe'en  yet  without  cracking  a  nut ' ;  and  he 
cracked  one. 

'  Some  one  is  cracking  nuts  up  there,'  said  one  of  the 
merry-makers  in  the  farmhouse.  '  Come  quickly,  and 
we  will  see  who  it  is.' 

He  spoke  loudly,  and  the  Black  Gallows  Bird  heard, 
and  ran  out  of  the  loft,  dragging  the  big  leather  hide 
after  him  which  the  Shifty  Lad  had  sewed  to  his  coat. 

'  He  is  stealing  my  hide  !  '  shouted  the  farmer,  and 
they  all  darted  after  him  ;  but  he  was  too  swift  for  them, 
and  at  last  he  managed  to  tear  the  hide  from  his  coat, 
and  then  he  flew  like  a  hare  till  he  reached  his  old 
hiding-place.  But  all  this  took  a  long  time,  and  mean- 
while the  Shifty  Lad  got  down  from  the  loft,  and  searched 
the  house  till  he  found  the  chest  with  the  gold  and  silver 
in  it,  concealed  behind  a  load  of  straw  and  covered 
with  loaves  of  bread  and  a  great  cheese.  The  Shifty 
Lad  slung  the  money  bags  round  his  shoulders  and  took 
the  bread  and  the  cheese  under  his  arm,  then  set  out 
quietly  for  the  Black  Rogue's  house. 


THE  SHIFTY  LAD  5 

'  Here  you  are  at  last,  you  villain  !  '  cried  his  master 
in  great  wrath.  '  But  I  will  be  revenged  on  you.' 

'  It  is  all  right,'  replied  the  Shifty  Lad  calmly.  '  I 
have  brought  what  you  wanted ' ;  and  he  laid  the  things 
he  was  carrying  down  on  the  ground. 

'  Ah  !  you  are  the  better  thief,'  said  the  Black 
Rogue's  wife  ;  and  the  Black  Rogue  added  : 

'  Yes,  it  is  you  who  are  the  clever  boy  '  ;  and  they 
divided  the  spoil,  and  the  Black  Gallows  Bird  had  one 
half  and  the  Shifty  Lad  the  other  half. 

A  few  weeks  after  that  the  Black  Gallows  Bird  had 
news  of  a  wedding  that  was  to  be  held  near  the  town  ; 
and  the  bridegroom  had  many  friends  and  everybody 
sent  him  a  present.  Now  a  rich  farmer  who  lived  up 
near  the  moor  thought  that  nothing  was  so  useful  to  a 
young  couple  when  they  first  began  to  keep  house  as  a 
fine  fat  sheep,  so  he  bade  his  shepherd  go  off  to  the 
mountain  where  the  flock  were  feeding,  and  bring  him 
back  the  best  he  could  find.  And  the  shepherd  chose 
out  the  largest  and  fattest  of  the  sheep  and  the  one  with 
the  whitest  fleece  ;  then  he  tied  its  feet  together  and  put 
it  across  his  shoulder,  for  he  had  a  long  way  to  go. 

That  day  the  Shifty  Lad  happened  to  be  wandering 
over  the  moor,  when  he  saw  the  man  with  the  sheep  on 
his  shoulder  walking  along  the  road  which  led  past  the 
Black  Rogue's  house.  The  sheep  was  heavy  and  the 
man  was  in  no  hurry,  so  he  came  slowly  and  the  boy 
knew  that  he  himself  could  easily  get  back  to  his  master 
before  the  shepherd  was  even  in  sight. 

'  I  will  wager,'  he  cried,  as  he  pushed  quickly  through 
the  bushes  which  hid  the  cabin — '  I  will  wager  that  I 
will  steal  the  sheep  from  the  man  that  is  coming  before 
he  passes  here.' 

'  Will  you  indeed  ?  '  said  the  Gallows  Bird.  '  I  will 
wager  you  a  hundred  silver  pieces  that  you  can  do 
nothing  of  the  sort.' 


6  THE  SHIFTY  LAD 

'  Well,  I  will  try  it,  anyway,'  replied  the  boy,  and 
disappeared  in  the  bushes.  He  ran  fast  till  he  entered 
a  wood  through  which  the  shepherd  must  go,  and  then 
he  stopped,  and  taking  off  one  of  his  shoes  smeared  it 
with  mud  and  set  it  in  the  path.  When  this  was  done 
he  slipped  behind  a  rock  and  waited. 

Very  soon  the  man  came  up,  and,  seeing  the  shoe 
lying  there,  he  stooped  and  looked  at  it. 

'  It  is  a  good  shoe,'  he  said  to  himself,  '  but  very 
dirty.  Still,  if  I  had  the  fellow,  I  would  be  at  the 
trouble  of  cleaning  it ' ;  so  he  threw  the  shoe  down  again 
and  went  on. 

The  Shifty  Lad  smiled  as  he  heard  him,  and,  picking 
up  the  shoe,  he  crept  round  by  a  short  way  and  laid  the 
other  shoe  on  the  path.  A  few  minutes  after  the 
shepherd  arrived,  and  beheld  the  second  shoe  lying  on 
the  path. 

'  Why,  that  is  the  fellow  of  the  dirty  shoe  !  '  he 
exclaimed  when  he  saw  it.  '  I  will  go  back  and  pick 
up  the  other  one,  and  then  I  shall  have  a  pair  of  good 
shoes,'  and  he  put  the  sheep  on  the  grass  and  returned 
to  fetch  the  shoe.  Then  the  Shifty  Lad  put  on  his 
shoes,  and,  picking  up  the  sheep,  carried  it  home. 
And  the  Black  Rogue  paid  him  the  hundred  marks  of 
his  wager. 

When  the  shepherd  reached  the  farmhouse  that 
night  he  told  his  tale  to  his  master,  who  scolded  him  for 
being  stupid  and  careless,  and  bade  him  go  the  next  day 
to  the  mountain  and  fetch  him  a  kid,  and  he  would  send 
that  as  a  wedding  gift.  But  the  Shifty  Lad  was  on  the 
look-out,  and  hid  himself  in  the  wood,  and  the  moment 
the  man  drew  near  with  the  kid  on  his  shoulders  began 
to  bleat  like  a  sheep,  and  no  one,  not  even  the  sheep's 
own  mother,  could  have  told  the  difference. 

'  Why,  it  must  have  got  its  feet  loose,  and  have 
strayed  after  all,'  thought  the  man  ;  and  he  put  the 
kid  on  the  grass  and  hurried  off  in  the  direction  of  the 


THE  SHIFTY  LAD  9 

bleating.  Then  the  boy  ran  back  and  picked  up  the 
kid,  and  took  it  to  the  Black  Gallows  Bird. 

The  shepherd  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes  when  he 
returned  from  seeking  the  sheep  and  found  that  the 
kid  had  vanished.  He  was  afraid  to  go  home  and  tell 
the  same  tale  that  he  had  told  yesterday  ;  so  he  searched 
the  wood  through  and  through  till  night  was  nearly 
come.  Then  he  felt  that  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and 
he  must  go  home  and  confess  to  his  master. 

Of  course,  the  farmer  was  very  angry  at  this  second 
misfortune  ;  but  this  time  he  told  him  to  drive  one  of 
the  big  bulls  from  the  mountain,  and  warned  him  that 
if  he  lost  that  he  would  lose  his  place  also.  Again  the 
Shifty  Lad,  \vho  was  on  the  watch,  perceived  him  pass 
by,  and  when  he  saw  the  man  returning  with  the  great 
bull  he  cried  to  the  Black  Rogue  : 

'  Be  quick  and  come  into  the  wood,  and  we  will  try 
to  get  the  bull  also.' 

'  But  how  can  we  do  that  ?  '  asked  the  Black 
Rogue. 

'  Oh,  quite  easily  !  You  hide  yourself  out  there 
and  baa  like  a  sheep,  and  I  will  go  in  the  other  direction 
and  bleat  like  a  kid.  It  will  be  all  right,  I  assure  you.' 

The  shepherd  was  walking  slowly,  driving  the  bull 
before  him,  when  he  suddenly  heard  a  loud  baa  amongst 
the  bushes  far  away  on  one  side  of  the  path,  and  a  feeble 
bleat  answering  it  from  the  other  side. 

'  Why,  it  must  be  the  sheep  and  the  kid  that  I 
lost,'  said  he.  '  Yes,  surely  it  must ' ;  and  tying  the  bull 
hastily  to  a  tree,  he  went  off  after  the  sheep  and  the 
kid,  and  searched  the  wood  till  he  was  tired.  Of  course 
by  the  time  he  came  back  the  two  thieves  had  driven 
the  bull  home  and  killed  him  for  meat,  so  the  man  was 
obliged  to  go  to  his  master  and  confess  that  he  had 
been  tricked  again. 

After  this  the  Black  Rogue  and  the  Shifty  Lad  grew 


10 

bolder  and  bolder,  and  stole  great  quantities  of  cattle 
and  sold  them  and  grew  quite  rich.  One  day  they  were 
returning  from  the  market  with  a  large  sum  of  money 
in  their  pockets  when  they  passed  a  gallows  erected  on 
the  top  of  a  hill. 

'  Let  us  stop  and  look  at  that  gallows,'  exclaimed 
the  Shifty  Lad.  '  I  have  never  seen  one  so  close  before. 
Yet  some  say  that  it  is  the  end  of  all  thieves.' 

There  was  no  one  in  sight,  and  they  carefully 
examined  every  part  of  it. 

'  I  wonder  how  it  feels  to  be  hanged,'  said  the  Shifty 
Lad.  '  I  should  like  to  know,  in  case  they  ever  catch 
me.  I'll  try  first,  and  then  you  can  do  so.' 

As  he  spoke  he  fastened  the  loose  cord  about  his 
neck,  and  when  it  was  quite  secure  he  told  the  Black 
Rogue  to  take  the  other  end  of  the  rope  and  draw  him 
up  from  the  ground. 

'  When  I  am  tired  of  it  I  will  shake  my  legs,  and  then 
you  must  let  me  down,'  said  he. 

The  Black  Rogue  drew  up  the  rope,  but  in  half  a 
minute  the  Shifty  Lad's  legs  began  to  shake,  and  he 
quickly  let  it  down  again. 

'  You  can't  imagine  what  a  funny  feeling  hanging 
gives  you,'  murmured  the  Shifty  Lad,  who  looked  rather 
purple  in  the  face  and  spoke  in  an  odd  voice.  '  I  don't 
think  you  have  ever  tried  it,  or  you  wouldn't  have  let 
me  go  up  first.  Why,  it  is  the  pleasantest  thing  I  have 
ever  done.  I  was  shaking  my  legs  from  sheer  delight, 
and  if  you  had  been  there  you  would  have  shaken  your 
legs  too.' 

'  Well,  let  me  try,  if  it  is  so  nice,'  answered  the 
Black  Rogue.  '  But  be  sure  you  tie  the  knot  securely, 
for  I  don't  want  to  fall  down  and  break  my  neck.' 

'  Oh,  I  will  see  to  that !  '  replied  the  Shifty  Lad. 
'  When  you  are  tired,  just  whistle,  and  I'll  let  you 
down.' 

So  the  Black  Rogue  was  drawn  up,  and  as  soon  as 


THE  SHIFTY  LAD  13 

he  was  as  high  as  the  rope  would  allow  him  to  go  the 
Shifty  Lad  called  to  him  : 

'  Don't  forget  to  whistle  when  you  want  to  come 
down ;  but  if  you  are  enjoying  yourself  as  I  did,  shake 
your  legs.' 

And  in  a  moment  the  Black  Rogue's  legs  began  to 
shake  and  to  kick,  and  the  Shifty  Lad  stood  below, 
watching  him  and  laughing  heartily. 

'  Oh,  how  funny  you  are  !  If  you  could  only  see 
yourself  !  Oh,  you  are  funny  !  But  when  you  have 
had  enough,  whistle  and  you  shall  be  let  down ' ;  and  he 
rocked  again  with  laughter. 

But  no  whistle  came,  and  soon  the  legs  ceased  to 
shake  and  to  kick,  for  the  Black  Gallows  Bird  was 
dead,  as  the  Shifty  Lad  intended  he  should  be. 

Then  he  went  home  to  the  Black  Rogue's  wife,  and 
told  her  that  her  husband  was  dead,  and  that  he  was 
ready  to  marry  her  if  she  liked.  But  the  woman  had 
been  fond  of  the  Black  Rogue,  thief  though  he  was,  and 
she  shrank  from  the  Shifty  Lad  in  horror,  and  set  the 
people  after  him,  and  he  had  to  fly  to  another  part  of 
the  country  where  none  knew  of  his  doings. 

Perhaps  if  the  Shifty  Lad's  mother  knew  anything 
of  all  this,  she  may  have  thought  that  by  this  time  her 
son  might  be  tired  of  stealing,  and  ready  to  try  some 
honest  trade.  But  in  reality  he  loved  the  tricks  and 
danger,  and  life  would  have  seemed  very  dull  without 
them.  So  he  went  on  just  as  before,  and  made  friends 
whom  he  taught  to  be  as  wicked  as  himself,  till  they 
took  to  robbing  the  king's  storehouses,  and  by  the 
advice  of  the  Wise  Man  the  king  sent  out  soldiers  to 
catch  the  band  of  thieves. 

For  a  long  while  they  tried  in  vain  to  lay  hands  on 
them.  The  Shifty  Lad  was  too  clever  for  them  all,  and 
if  they  laid  traps  he  laid  better  ones.  At  last  one  night 
he  stole  upon  some  soldiers  while  they  were  asleep  in  a 


14  THE  SHIFTY  LAD 

barn  and  killed  them,  and  persuaded  the  villagers  that 
if  they  did  not  kill  the  other  soldiers  before  morning 
they  would  certainly  be  killed  themselves.  Thus  it 
happened  that  when  the  sun  rose  not  a  single  soldier 
was  alive  in  the  village. 

Of  course  this  news  soon  reached  the  king's  ears, 
and  he  was  very  angry,  and  summoned  the  Wise  Man 
to  take  counsel  with  him.  And  this  was  the  counsel  of 
the  Wise  Man — that  he  should  invite  all  the  people  in  the 
countryside  to  a  ball,  and  among  them  the  bold  and 
impudent  thief  would  be  sure  to  come,  and  would 
be  sure  to  ask  the  king's  daughter  to  dance  with  him. 

'  Your  counsel  is  good,'  said  the  king,  who  made  his 
feast  and  prepared  for  his  ball ;  and  all  the  people  of 
the  countryside  were  present,  and  the  Shifty  Lad  came 
with  them. 

When  everyone  had  eaten  and  drunk  as  much  as 
they  wanted  they  went  into  the  ballroom.  There  was 
a  great  throng,  and  while  they  were  pressing  through 
the  doorway  the  Wise  Man,  who  had  a  bottle  of  black 
ointment  hidden  in  his  robes,  placed  a  tiny  dot  on  the 
cheek  of  the  Shifty  Lad  near  his  ear.  The  Shifty  Lad 
felt  nothing,  but  as  he  approached  the  king's  daughter 
to  ask  her  to  be  his  partner  he  caught  sight  of  the  black 
dot  in  a  silver  mirror.  Instantly  he  guessed  who  had 
put  it  there  and  why,  but  he  said  nothing,  and  danced 
so  beautifully  that  the  princess  was  quite  delighted 
with  him.  At  the  end  of  the  dance  he  bowed  low  to 
his  partner  and  left  her,  to  mingle  with  the  crowd  that 
was  filling  the  doorway.  As  he  passed  the  Wise  Man 
he  contrived  not  only  to  steal  the  bottle  but  to  place 
two  black  dots  on  his  face,  and  one  on  the  faces  of 
twenty  other  men.  Then  he  slipped  the  bottle  back 
in  the  Wise  Man's  robe. 

By-and-by  he  went  up  to  the  king's  daughter  again, 
and  begged  for  the  honour  of  another  dance.  She 
consented,  and  while  he  was  stooping  to  tie  the  ribbons 


THE  SHIFTY  LAD  17 

on  his  shoe  she  took  out  from  her  pocket  another  bottle, 
which  the  Wizard  had  given  her,  and  put  a  black  dot 
on  his  cheek.  But  she  was  not  as  skilful  as  the  Wise 
Man,  and  the  Shifty  Lad  felt  the  touch  of  her  fingers  ; 
so  as  soon  as  the  dance  was  over  he  contrived  to  place 
a  second  black  dot  on  the  faces  of  the  twenty  men  and 
two  more  on  the  Wizard,  after  which  he  slipped  the 
bottle  into  her  pocket. 

At  length  the  ball  came  to  an  end,  and  then  the 
king  ordered  all  the  doors  to  be  shut,  and  search  made 
for  a  man  with  two  black  dots  on  his  cheek.  The 
chamberlain  went  among  the  guests,  and  soon  found 
such  a  man,  but  just  as  he  was  going  to  arrest  him  and 
bring  him  before  the  king  his  eye  fell  on  another  with 
the  same  mark,  and  another,  and  another,  till  he  had 
counted  twenty — besides  the  Wise  Man — on  whose  face 
were  found  spots. 

Not  knowing  what  to  do,  the  chamberlain  hurried 
back  with  his  tale  to  the  king,  who  immediately  sent  for 
the  Wise  Man,  and  then  for  his  daughter. 

'  The  thief  must  have  stolen  your  bottle,'  said  the 
king  to  the  Wizard. 

'  No,  my  lord,  it  is  here,'  answered  the  Wise  Man, 
holding  it  out. 

'  Then  he  must  have  got  yours,'  he  cried,  turning  to 
his  daughter. 

*  Indeed,  father,  it  is  safe  in  my  pocket,'  replied  she, 
taking  it  out  as  she  spoke  ;  and  they  all  three  looked  at 
each  other  and  remained  silent. 

'  Well,'  said  the  king  at  last,  '  the  man  who  has 
done  this  is  cleverer  than  most  men,  and  if  he  will 
make  himself  known  to  me  he  shall  marry  the  princess 
and  govern  half  my  kingdom  while  I  am  alive,  and  the 
whole  of  it  when  I  am  dead.  Go  and  announce  this 
in  the  ballroom,'  he  added  to  an  attendant,  '  and  bring 
the  fellow  hither.' 

L.  c 


18  THE  SHIFTY  LAD 

So  the  attendant  went  into  the  ballroom  and  did  as 
the  king  had  bidden  him,  when,  to  his  surprise,  not  one 
man,  but  twenty,  stepped  forward,  all  with  black  dots 
on  their  faces. 

*  I  am  the  person  you  want,'  they  all  exclaimed  at 
once,  and  the  attendant,  as  much  bewildered  as  the 
chamberlain  had  been,  desired  them  to  follow  him  into 
the  king's  presence. 

But  the  question  was  too  difficult  for  the  king  to 
decide,  so  he  called  together  his  council.  For  hours 
they  talked,  but  to  no  purpose,  and  in  the  end  they 
hit  upon  a  plan  which  they  might  just  as  well  have 
thought  of  at  the  beginning. 

And  this  was  the  plan.  A  child  was  to  be  brought 
to  the  palace,  and  next  the  king's  daughter  would  give 
her  an  apple.  Then  the  child  was  to  take  the  apple 
and  be  led  into  a  room  where  the  twenty  men  with  the 
black  dots  were  sitting  in  a  ring.  And  to  whomsoever 
the  child  gave  the  apple,  that  man  should  marry  the 
king's  daughter. 

'  Of  course,'  said  the  king,  '  it  may  not  be  the  right 
man,  after  all,  but  then  again  it  may  be.  Anyhow,  it  is 
the  best  we  can  do.' 

The  princess  herself  led  the  child  into  the  room 
where  the  twenty  men  were  now  seated.  She  stood  in 
the  centre  of  the  ring  for  a  moment,  looking  at  one  man 
after  another,  and  then  held  out  the  apple  to  the  Shifty 
Lad,  who  was  twisting  a  shaving  of  wood  round  his 
finger,  and  had  the  mouthpiece  of  a  bagpipe  hanging 
from  his  neck. 

'  You  ought  not  to  have  anything  which  the  others 
have  not  got,'  said  the  chamberlain,  who  had  accom- 
panied the  princess ;  and  he  bade  the  child  stand  outside 
for  a  minute,  while  he  took  away  the  shaving  and  the 
mouthpiece,  and  made  the  Shifty  Lad  change  his  place. 
Then  he  called  the  child  in,  but  the  little  girl  knew  him 
again,  and  went  straight  up  to  him  with  the  apple. 


LAD 


Or9  DUBLIN) 


THE  SHIFTY  LAD  21 

'  This  is  the  man  whom  the  child  has  twice  chosen,' 
said  the  chamberlain,  signing  to  the  Shifty  Lad  to  kneel 
before  the  king.  '  It  was  all  quite  fair  ;  we  tried  it 
twice  over.'  In  this  way  the  Shifty  Lad  won  the 
king's  daughter,  and  they  were  married  the  next  day. 

A  few  days  later  the  bride  and  bridegroom  were 
taking  a  walk  together,  and  the  path  led  down  to  the 
river,  and  over  the  river  was  a  bridge. 

'  And  what  bridge  may  this  be  ?  '  asked  the  Shifty 
Lad  ;  and  the  princess  told  him  that  this  was  the  bridge 
of  Dublin. 

'  Is  it  indeed  ?  '  cried  he.  *  Well,  now,  many  is  the 
time  that  my  mother  has  said,  when  I  played  her  a 
trick,  that  my  end  would  be  that  I  should  hang  on  the 
bridge  of  Dublin.' 

'  Oh,  if  you  want  to  fulfil  her  prophecies,'  laughed  the 
princess,  '  you  have  only  to  let  me  tie  my  handkerchief 
round  your  ankle,  and  I  will  hold  you  as  you  hang  over 
the  wall  of  the  bridge.' 

'  That  would  be  fine  fun,'  said  he  ;  '  but  you  are  not 
strong  enough  to  hold  me  up.' 

'  Oh  yes,  I  am,'  said  the  princess  ;  '  just  try.'  So 
at  last  he  let  her  bind  the  handkerchief  round  his  ankle 
and  hang  him  over  the  wall,  and  they  both  laughed  and 
jested  at  the  strength  of  the  princess. 

'  Now  pull  me  up  again,'  called  he  ;  but  as  he  spoke 
a  great  cry  arose  that  the  palace  was  burning.  The 
princess  turned  round  with  a  start,  and  let  go  her  hand- 
kerchief, and  the  Shifty  Lad  fell,  and  struck  his  head  on 
a  stone,  and  died  in  an  instant. 

So  his  mother's  prophecy  had  come  true,  after  all. 


West  Highland  Tales. 


THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE 

THE  king  had  just  awakened  from  his  midday  sleep, 
for  it  was  summer,  and  everyone  rose  early  and  rested 
from  twelve  to  three,  as  they  do  in  hot  countries.  He 
had  dressed  himself  in  cool  white  clothes,  and  was 
passing  through  the  hall  on  his  way  to  the  council 
chamber,  when  a  number  of  young  nobles  suddenly 
appeared  before  him,  and  one  amongst  them  stepped 
forward  and  spoke. 

'  Sire,  this  morning  we  were  all  playing  tennis  in 
the  court,  the  prince  and  this  gentleman  with  the  rest, 
when  there  broke  out  some  dispute  about  the  game. 
The  prince  lost  his  temper,  and  said  many  insulting 
things  to  the  other,  who  was  playing  against  him,  till  at 
length  the  gentleman  whom  you  see  there  struck  him 
violently  in  the  face,  so  that  the  blood  ran  from  his 
mouth  and  nose.  We  were  all  so  horrified  at  the  sight, 
that  we  should  most  likely  have  killed  the  man  then 
and  there,  for  daring  to  lay  hands  on  the  prince,  had 
not  his  grandfather  the  duke  stepped  between  and 
commanded  us  to  lay  the  affair  before  you.' 

The  king  had  listened  attentively  to  the  story,  and 
when  it  was  ended  he  said  : 

'  I  suppose  the  prince  had  no  arms  with  him,  or  else 
he  would  have  used  them  ?  ' 

'  Yes,  sire,  he  had  arms  ;  he  always  carries  a  dagger 
in  his  belt.  But  when  he  saw  the  blood  pouring  from 
his  face,  he  went  to  a  corner  of  the  court  and  began  to 
cry,  which  was  the  strangest  thing  of  all.' 

On  hearing  this  the  king  walked  to  the  window  and 


THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE    23 

stood  for  a  few  minutes  with  his  back  to  the  room, 
where  the  company  of  young  men  remained  silent. 
Then  he  came  back,  his  face  white  and  stern. 


Qu«tt»t»el    in   the   Tennis    Couft" 


4 1  tell  you,'  he  said,  '  end  it  is  the  solemn  truth, 
that  I  would  rather  you  had  told  me  that  the  prince 
was  dead,  though  he  is  my  only  son,  than  know  that  he 


24    THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE 

would  suffer  such  an  injury  without  attempting  to 
avenge  it.  As  for  the  gentleman  who  struck  him,  he 
will  be  brought  before  my  judges,  and  will  plead  his 
own  cause,  but  I  hardly  think  he  can  escape  death, 
after  having  assaulted  the  heir  to  the  crown.' 

The  young  man  raised  his  head  as  if  to  reply,  but 
the  king  would  not  listen,  and  commanded  his  guards 
to  put  him  under  arrest,  adding,  however,  that  if  the 
prisoner  wished  to  visit  any  part  of  the  city,  he  was  at 
liberty  to  do  so  properly  guarded,  and  in  fifteen  days 
he  would  be  brought  to  trial  before  the  highest  judges 
in  the  land. 

The  young  man  left  the  king's  presence,  surrounded 
by  soldiers,  and  accompanied  by  many  of  his  friends, 
for  he  was  a  great  favourite.  By  their  advice  he  spent 
the  fourteen  days  that  remained  to  him  going  about  to 
seek  counsel  from  wise  men  of  all  sorts,  as  to  how  he 
might  escape  death,  but  no  one  could  help  him,  for 
none  could  find  any  excuse  for  the  blow  he  had  given 
to  the  prince. 

The  fourteenth  night  had  come,  and  in  despair  the 
prisoner  went  out  to  take  his  last  walk  through  the  city. 
He  wandered  on  hardly  knowing  where  he  went,  and 
his  face  was  so  white  and  desperate  that  none  of  his 
companions  dared  speak  to  him.  The  sad  little  pro- 
cession had  passed  some  hours  in  this  manner,  wrhen, 
near  the  gate  of  a  monastery,  an  old  woman  appeared 
round  a  corner,  and  suddenly  stood  before  the  young 
man.  She  was  bent  almost  double,  and  was  so  wizened 
and  wrinkled  that  she  looked  at  least  ninety  ;  only  her 
eyes  were  bright  and  quick  as  those  of  a  girl. 

'  Sir,'  she  said,  '  I  know  all  that  has  happened  to 
you,  and  how  you  are  seeking  if  in  any  wise  you  can 
save  your  life.  But  there  is  none  that  can  answer 
that  question  save  only  I  myself,  if  you  will  promise 
to  do  all  I  ask.' 


THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE    25 

At  her  words  the  prisoner  felt  as  if  a  load  had  all 
at  once  been  rolled  off  him. 

'  Oh,  save  me,  and  I  will  do  anything  ! '  he  cried.  '  It  is 
so  hard  to  leave  the  world  and  go  out  into  the  darkness.' 

'  You  will  not  need  to  do  that,'  answered  the  old 
woman,  '  you  have  only  got  to  marry  me,  and  you  will 
soon  be  free.' 

'  Marry  you  ?  '  exclaimed  he,  '  but — but — I  am  not 
yet  twenty,  and  you — why,  you  must  be  a  hundred  at 
least !  Oh,  no,  it  is  quite  impossible.' 

He  spoke  without  thinking,  but  the  flash  of  anger 
which  darted  from  her  eyes  made  him  feel  uncomfort- 
able. However,  all  she  said  was  : 

'  As  you  like  ;  since  you  reject  me,  let  the  crows 
have  you,'  and  hurried  away  down  the  street. 

Left  to  himself,  the  full  horror  of  his  coming  death 
rushed  upon  the  young  man,  and  he  understood  that 
he  had  thrown  away  his  sole  chance  of  life.  Well,  if 
he  must,  he  must,  he  said  to  himself,  and  began  to  run 
as  fast  as  he  could  after  the  old  crone,  who  by  this  time 
could  scarcely  be  seen,  even  in  the  moonlight.  Who 
would  have  believed  a  woman  past  ninety  could  walk 
with  such  speed  ?  It  seemed  more  like  flying  !  But 
at  length,  breathless  and  exhausted,  he  reached  her 
side,  and  gasped  out : 

'  Madam,  pardon  me  for  my  hasty  words  just  now  ; 
I  was  wrong,  and  will  thankfully  accept  the  offer  you 
made  me.' 

'  Ah,  I  thought  you  would  come  to  your  senses,' 
answered  she,  in  rather  an  odd  voice.  '  We  have  no 
time  to  lose — follow  me  at  once,'  and  they  went  on 
silently  and  swiftly  till  they  stopped  at  the  door  of  a 
small  house  in  which  the  priest  lived.  Before  him  the 
old  woman  bade  the  prisoner  swear  that  she  should 
be  his  wife,  and  this  he  did  in  the  presence  of  witnesses. 
Then,  begging  the  priest  and  the  guards  to  leave  them 


26    THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE 

alone  for  a  little,  she  told  the  young  man  what  he  was 
to  do,  when  the  next  morning  he  was  brought  before 
the  king  and  the  judges. 

The  hall  was  full  to  overflowing  when  the  prisoner 
entered  it,  and  all  marvelled  at  the  brightness  of  his  face. 
The  king  inquired  if  he  had  any  excuse  to  plead  for  the 
high  treason  he  had  committed  by  striking  the  heir  to 
the  throne,  and,  if  so,  to  be  quick  in  setting  it  forth. 
With  a  low  bow  the  youth  made  answer  in  a  clear  voice  : 

'  0  my  lord  and  gracious  king,  and  you,  nobles 
and  wise  men  of  the  land,  I  leave  my  cause  without 
fear  in  your  hands,  knowing  that  you  will  listen  and 
judge  rightly,  and  that  you  will  suffer  me  to  speak  to 
the  end,  before  you  give  judgment. 

'  For  four  years,  you,  O  king,  had  been  married 
to  the  queen  and  yet  had  no  children,  which  grieved 
you  greatly.  The  queen  saw  this,  and  likewise  that 
your  love  was  going  from  her,  and  thought  night  and 
day  of  some  plan  that  might  put  an  end  to  this  evil. 
At  length,  when  you  were  away  fighting  in  distant 
countries,  she  decided  what  she  would  do,  and  adopted 
in  secret  the  baby  of  a  poor  quarryman,  sending  a 
messenger  to  tell  you  that  you  had  a  son.  No  one 
suspected  the  truth  except  a  priest  to  whom  the  queen 
confessed  the  truth,  and  in  a  few  weeks  she  fell  ill  and 
died,  leaving  the  baby  to  be  brought  up  as  became 
a  prince.  And  now,  if  your  highness  will  permit  me, 
I  will  speak  of  myself.' 

'  What  you  have  already  told  me,'  answered  the 
king,  '  is  so  strange  that  I  cannot  imagine  what  more 
there  is  to  tell,  but  go  on  with  your  story.' 

'  One  day,  shortly  after  the  death  of  the  queen,' 
continued  the  young  man,  '  your  highness  was  hunting, 
and  outstripped  all  your  attendants  while  chasing  the 
deer.  You  were  in  a  part  of  the  country  which  you  did 

Tint.   Irnrkw     on   cooinnr    an    n*v>ViaTv1    all    -r>ir>lr    anrl    Ai"V»itt»   n-itVi 


apple-blossoms,  and  a  girl  tossing  a  ball  in  one  corner, 
you  went  up  to  her  to  ask  your  way.  But  when  she 
turned  to  answer  you,  you  were  so  struck  with  her 
beauty  that  all  else  fled  from  your  mind.  Again  and 
again  you  rode  back  to  see  her,  and  at  length  persuaded 
her  to  marry  you.  She  only  thought  you  a  poor  knight, 
and  agreed  that  as  you  wished  it,  the  marriage  should 
be  kept  secret. 

'  After  the  ceremony  you  gave  her  three  rings  and  a 
charm  with  a  cross  on  it,  and  then  put  her  in  a  cottage 
in  the  forest,  thinking  to  hide  the  matter  securely. 

'  For  some  months  you  visited  the  cottage  every 
week  ;  but  a  rebellion  broke  out  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
kingdom,  and  called  for  your  presence.  When  next 
you  rode  up  to  the  cottage,  it  was  empty,  and  none 
could  inform  you  whither  your  bride  had  gone.  That, 
sire,  I  can  now  tell  you,'  and  the  young  man  paused 
and  looked  at  the  king,  who  coloured  deeply.  '  She  went 
back  to  her  father  the  old  duke,  once  your  chamber- 
lain, and  the  cross  on  her  breast  revealed  at  once  who 
you  were.  Fierce  was  his  anger  when  he  heard  his 
daughter's  tale,  and  he  vowed  that  he  would  hide  her 
safely  from  you,  till  the  day  came  when  you  would 
claim  her  publicly  as  your  queen. 

'  By  and  bye  I  was  born,  and  was  brought  up  by 
my  grandfather  in  one  of  his  great  houses.  Here  are 
the  rings  you  gave  to  my  mother,  and,  here  is  the  cross, 
and  these  will  prove  if  I  am  your  son  or  not.' 

As  he  spoke  the  young  man  laid  the  jewels  at  the 
feet  of  the  king,  and  the  nobles  and  the  judges  pressed 
round  to  examine  them.  The  king  alone  did  not  move 
from  his  seat,  for  he  had  forgotten  the  hall  of  justice 
and  all  about  him,  and  saw  only  the  apple-orchard  as 
it  was  twenty  years  ago,  and  the  beautiful  girl  playing 
at  ball.  A  sudden  silence  round  him  made  him  look 
up,  and  he  found  the  eyes  of  the  assembly  fixed  on  him. 

*  It  is  true  ;  it  is  he  who  is  my  son,  and  not  the  other,' 


28    THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE 

he  said  with  an  effort,  '  and  let  every  man  present  swear 
to  acknowledge  him  as  king,  after  my  death.' 

Therefore  one  by  one  they  all  knelt  before  him 
and  took  the  oath,  and  a  message  was  sent  to  the  false 
prince,  forbidding  him  ever  again  to  appear  at  court, 
though  a  handsome  pension  was  granted  him. 

At  last  the  ceremony  was  over,  and  the  king,  signing 
to  his  newly  found  son  to  follow  him,  rose  and  went 
into  another  room. 

'  Tell  me  how  you  knew  all  that,'  he  said,  throwing 
himself  into  a  carved  chair  filled  with  crimson  cushions, 
and  the  prince  told  of  his  meeting  with  the  old  woman 
who  had  brought  him  the  jewels  from  his  mother,  and 
how  he  had  sworn  before  a  priest  to  marry  her,  though 
he  did  not  want  to  do  it,  on  account  of  the  difference  in 
their  ages,  and  besides,  he  would  rather  receive  a  bride 
chosen  by  the  king  himself.  But  the  king  frowned, 
and  answered  sharply  : 

'  You  swore  to  marry  her  if  she  saved  your  life, 
and,  come  what  may,  you  must  fulfil  your  promise.' 
Then,  striking  a  silver  shield  that  hung  close  by,  he 
said  to  the  equerry  who  appeared  immediately  : 

'  Go  and  seek  the  priest  who  lives  near  the  door  of 
the  prison,  and  ask  him  where  you  can  find  the  old 
woman  who  visited  him  last  night ;  and  when  you  have 
found  her,  bring  her  to  the  palace.' 

It  took  some  time  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of 
the  old  woman,  but  at  length  it  was  accomplished,  and 
when  she  arrived  at  the  palace  with  the  equerry,  she 
was  received  with  royal  honours,  as  became  the  bride 
of  the  prince.  The  guards  looked  at  each  other  with 
astonished  eyes,  as  the  wizened  creature,  bowed  with 
age,  passed  between  their  lines  ;  but  they  were  more 
amazed  still  at  the  lightness  of  her  step  as  she  skipped 
up  the  steps  to  the  great  door  before  which  the  king 


THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE    29 

was  standing,  with  the  prince  at  his  side.  If  they 
both  felt  a  shock  at  the  appearance  of  the  aged  lady 
they  did  not  show  it,  and  the  king,  with  a  grave  bow, 
took  her  hand,  and  led  her  to  the  chapel,  where  a  bishop 
was  waiting  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony. 

For  the  next  few  weeks  little  was  seen  of  the  prince, 
who  spent  all  his  days  in  hunting,  and  trying  to  forget 
the  old  wife  at  home.  As  for  the  princess,  no  one 
troubled  himself  about  her,  and  she  passed  the  days 
alone  in  her  apartments,  for  she  had  absolutely  declined 
the  services  of  the  ladies-in-waiting  whom  the  king 
had  appointed  for  her. 

One  night  the  prince  returned  after  a  longer  chase 
than  usual,  and  he  was  so  tired  that  he  went  up  straight 
to  bed.  Suddenly  he  was  awakened  by  a  strange  noise 
in  the  room,  and  suspecting  that  a  robber  might  have 
stolen  in,  he  jumped  out  of  bed,  and  seized  his  sword, 
which  lay  ready  to  his  hand.  Then  he  perceived  that 
the  noise  proceeded  from  the  next  room,  which  belonged 
to  the  princess,  and  was  lighted  by  a  burning  torch. 
Creeping  softly  to  the  door,  he  peeped  through  it,  and 
beheld  her  lying  quietly,  with  a  crown  of  gold  and 
pearls  upon  her  head,  her  wrinkles  all  gone,  and  her 
face,  which  was  whiter  than  the  snow,  as  fresh  as  that 
of  a  girl  of  fourteen.  Could  that  really  be  his  wife — 
that  beautiful,  beautiful  creature  ? 

The  prince  was  still  gazing  in  surprise  when  the 
lady  opened  her  eyes  and  smiled  at  him. 

'  Yes,  I  really  am  your  wife,'  she  said,  as  if  she  had 
guessed  his  thoughts,  '  and  the  enchantment  is  ended. 
Now  I  must  tell  you  who  I  am,  and  what  befell  to  cause 
me  to  take  the  shape  of  an  old  woman. 

'  The  king  of  Granada  is  my  father,  and  I  was  born 
in  the  palace  which  overlooks  the  plain  of  the  Vega. 
I  was  only  a  few  months  old  when  a  wicked  fairy,  who 
had  a  spite  against  my  parents,  cast  a  spell  over  me, 


30    THE  FALSE  PRINCE  AND  THE  TRUE 

bending  my  back  and  wrinkling  my  skin  till  I  looked 
as  if  I  was  a  hundred  years  old,  and  making  me  such  an 
object  of  disgust  to  everyone,  that  at  length  the  king 
ordered  my  nurse  to  take  me  away  from  the  palace. 
She  was  the  only  person  who  cared  about  me,  and  we 
lived  together  in  this  city  on  a  small  pension  allowed 
me  by  the  king. 

'  When  I  was  about  three  an  old  man  arrived  at 
our  house,  and  begged  my  nurse  to  let  him  come  in 
and  rest,  as  he  could  walk  no  longer.  She  saw  that  he 
was  very  ill,  so  put  him  to  bed  and  took  such  care  of 
him  that  by  and  bye  he  was  as  strong  as  ever.  In 
gratitude  for  her  goodness  to  him,  he  told  her  that  he 
was  a  wizard  and  could  give  her  anything  she  chose  to 
ask  for,  except  life  or  death,  so  she  answered  that  what 
she  longed  for  most  in  the  world  was  that  my  wrinkled 
skin  should  disappear,  and  that  I  should  regain  the 
beauty  with  which  I  was  born.  To  this  he  replied  that 
as  my  misfortune  resulted  from  a  spell,  this  was  rather 
difficult,  but  he  would  do  his  best,  and  at  any  rate 
he  could  promise  that  before  my  fifteenth  birthday 
I  should  be  freed  from  the  enchantment  if  I  could  get 
a  man  who  would  swear  to  marry  me  as  I  was. 

*  As  you  may  suppose,  this  was  not  easy,  as  my 
ugliness  was  such  that  no  one  would  look  at  me  a  second 
time.  My  nurse  and  I  were  almost  in  despair,  as  my 
fifteenth  birthday  was  drawing  near,  and  I  had  never 
so  much  as  spoken  to  a  man.  At  last  we  received 
a  visit  from  the  wizard,  who  told  us  what  had  happened 
at  court,  and  your  story,  bidding  me  to  put  myself  in 
your  way  when  you  had  lost  all  hope,  and  offer  to  save 
you  if  you  would  consent  to  marry  me. 

'  That  is  my  history,  and  now  you  must  beg  the 
king  to  send  messengers  at  once  to  Granada,  to  inform 
my  father  of  our  marriage,  and  I  think,'  she  added  with 
a  smile,  '  that  he  will  not  refuse  us  his  blessing.' 
Adapted  from  the  Portuguese. 


THE  JOOrS  PUNISHMENT 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  came  to  the  ancient  city  of 
Rahmatabad  a  jogi l  of  holy  appearance,  who  took  up 
his  abode  under  a  tree  outside  the  city,  where  he  would 
sit  for  days  at  a  time  fasting  from  food  and  drink, 
motionless  except  for  the  fingers  that  turned  restlessly 
his  string  of  beads.  The  fame  of  such  holiness  as  this 
soon  spread,  and  daily  the  citizens  would  flock  to  see 
him,  eager  to  get  his  blessing,  to  watch  his  devotions,  or 
to  hear  his  teaching,  if  he  were  in  the  mood  to  speak. 
Very  soon  the  rajah  himself  heard  of  the  jogi,  and 
began  regularly  to  visit  him  to  seek  his  counsel  and  to 
ask  his  prayers  that  a  son  might  be  vouchsafed  to  him. 
Days  passed  by,  and  at  last  the  rajah  became  so  pos- 
sessed with  the  thought  of  the  holy  man  that  he  deter- 
mined if  possible  to  get  him  all  to  himself.  So  he  built 
in  the  neighbourhood  a  little  shrine,  with  a  room  or  two 
added  to  it,  and  a  small  courtyard  closely  walled  up  ; 
and,  when  all  was  ready,  besought  the  jogi  to  occupy  it, 
and  to  receive  no  other  visitors  except  himself  and  his 
queen  and  such  pupils  as  the  jogi  might  choose,  who 
would  hand  down  his  teaching.  To  this  the  jogi  con- 
sented ;  and  thus  he  lived  for  some  time  upon  the  king's 
bounty,  whilst  the  fame  of  his  godliness  grew  day  by 
day. 

Now,  although  the  rajah  of  Rahmatabad  had  no  son, 

he  possessed  a  daughter,  who  as  she  grew  up  became 

the  most  beautiful  creature  that  eye  ever  rested  upon. 

Her  father  had  long  before  betrothed  her  to  the  son  of 

1 A  Hindu  holy  man. 


32  THE  JOGPS  PUNISHMENT 

the  neighbouring  rajah  of  Dilaram,  but  as  yet  she  had 
not  been  married  to  him,  and  lived  the  quiet  life  proper 
to  a  maiden  of  her  beauty  and  position.  The  princess 
had  of  course  heard  of  the  holy  man  and  of  his  miracles 
and  his  fastings,  and  she  was  filled  with  curiosity  to 
see  and  to  speak  to  him  ;  but  this  was  difficult,  since 
she  was  not  allowed  to  go  out  except  into  the  palace 
grounds,  and  then  was  alwaj^s  closely  guarded.  How- 
ever, at  length  she  found  an  opportunity,  and  made 
her  way  one  evening  alone  to  the  hermit's  shrine. 

Unhappily,  the  hermit  was  not  really  as  holy  as  he 
seemed  ;  for  no  sooner  did  he  see  the  princess  than  he 
fell  in  love  with  her  wonderful  beauty,  and  began  to 
plot  in  his  heart  how  he  could  win  her  for  his  wife. 
But  the  maiden  was  not  only  beautiful,  she  was  also 
shrewd  ;  and  as  soon  as  she  read  in  the  glance  of  the 
jogi  the  love  that  filled  his  soul,  she  sprang  to  her  feet, 
and,  gathering  her  veil  about  her,  ran  from  the  place  as 
fast  as  she  could.  The  jogi  tried  to  follow,  but  he  was 
no  match  for  her  ;  so,  beside  himself  with  rage  at  finding 
that  he  could  not  overtake  her,  he  flung  at  her  a  lance, 
which  wounded  her  in  the  leg.  The  brave  princess 
stooped  for  a  second  to  pluck  the  lance  out  of  the 
wound,  and  then  ran  on  until  she  found  herself  safe  at 
home  again.  There  she  bathed  and  bound  up  the 
wound  secretly,  and  told  no  one  how  naughty  she  had 
been,  for  she  knew  that  her  father  would  punish  her 
severely. 

Next  day,  when  the  king  went  to  visit  the  jogi,  the 
holy  man  would  neither  speak  to  nor  look  at  him. 

'  What  is  the  matter  ?  '  asked  the  king.  '  Won't  you 
speak  to  me  to-day  ?  ' 

'  I  have  nothing  to  say  that  you  would  care  to  hear,' 
answered  the  jogi. 

'  Why  ?  '  said  the  king.  '  Surely  you  know  that 
I  value  all  that  you  say,  whatever  it  may  be.' 

But  still  the  jogi  sat  with  his  face  turned  away,  and 


L. 


THE  JOOrS  PUNISHMENT  35 

the  more  the  king  pressed  him  the  more  silent  and 
mysterious  he  became.  At  last,  after  much  persuasion, 
he  said  : 

'  Let  me  tell  you,  then,  that  there  is  in  this  city  a 
creature  which,  if  you  do  not  put  an  end  to  it,  will  kill 
every  single  person  in  the  place.' 

The  king,  who  was  easily  frightened,  grew  pale. 

'  What  ?  '  he  gasped — '  what  is  this  dreadful  thing  ? 
How  am  I  to  know  it  and  to  catch  it  ?  Only  counsel 
me  and  help  me,  and  I  will  do  all  that  you  advise.' 

'  Ah  !  '  replied  the  jogi,  '  it  is  indeed  dreadful.  It  is 
in  the  shape  of  a  beautiful  girl,  but  it  is  really  an  evil 
spirit.  Last  evening  it  came  to  visit  me,  and  when  I 
looked  upon  it  its  beauty  faded  into  hideousness,  its 
teeth  became  horrible  fangs,  its  eyes  glared  like  coals 
of  fire,  great  claws  sprang  from  its  slender  fingers,  and 
were  I  not  what  I  am  it  might  have  consumed  me.' 

The  king  could  hardly  speak  from  alarm,  but  at 
last  he  said  : 

'  How  am  I  to  distinguish  this  awful  thing  when  I 
see  it  ?  ' 

'  Search,'  said  the  jogi,  '  for  a  lovely  girl  with  a 
lance  wound  in  her  leg,  and  when  she  is  found  secure 
her  safely  and  come  and  tell  me,  and  I  will  advise  you 
what  to  do  next.' 

Away  hurried  the  king,  and  soon  set  all  his  soldiers 
scouring  the  country  for  a  girl  with  a  lance  wound  in 
her  leg.  For  two  days  the  search  went  on,  and  then  it 
was  somehow  discovered  that  the  only  person  with  a 
lance  wound  in  the  leg  was  the  princess  herself.  The 
king,  greatly  agitated,  went  off  to  tell  the  jogi,  and  to 
assure  him  that  there  must  be  some  mistake.  But  of 
course  the  jogi  was  prepared  for  this,  and  had  his  answer 
ready. 

'  She  is  not  really  your  daughter,  who  was  stolen 
away  at  her  birth,  but  an  evil  spirit  that  has  taken  her 
form,'  said  he  solemnly.  '  You  can  do  what  you  like, 

D2 


36  THE  JOOPS  PUNISHMENT 

but  if  you  don't  take  my  advice  she  will  kill  you  all.' 
And  so  solemn  he  appeared,  and  so  unshaken  in  his 
confidence,  that  the  king's  wisdom  was  blinded,  and  he 
declared  that  he  would  do  whatever  the  jogi  advised, 
and  believe  whatever  he  said.  So  the  jogi  directed  him 
to  send  him  secretly  two  carpenters  ;  and  when  they 
arrived  he  set  them  to  make  a  great  chest,  so  cunningly 
jointed  and  put  together  that  neither  air  nor  water 
could  penetrate  it.  There  and  then  the  chest  was 
made,  and,  when  it  was  ready,  the  jogi  bade  the  king 
to  bring  the  princess  by  night ;  and  they  two  thrust 
the  poor  little  maiden  into  the  chest  and  fastened  it 
down  with  long  nails,  and  between  them  carried  it  to 
the  river  and  pushed  it  out  into  the  stream. 

As  soon  as  the  jogi  got  back  from  this  deed  he  called 
two  of  his  pupils,  and  pretended  that  it  had  been  revealed 
to  him  that  there  should  be  found  floating  on  the  river 
a  chest  with  something  of  great  price  within  it ;  and  he 
bade  them  go  and  watch  for  it  at  such  a  place  far  down 
the  stream,  and  when  the  chest  came  slowly  along, 
bobbing  and  turning  in  the  tide,  they  were  to  seize  it  and 
secretly  and  swiftly  bring  it  to  him,  for  he  was  now 
determined  to  put  the  princess  to  death  himself.  The 
pupils  set  off  at  once,  wondering  at  the  strangeness  of 
their  errand,  and  still  more  at  the  holiness  of  the  jogi 
to  whom  such  secrets  were  revealed. 

It  happened  that,  as  the  next  morning  was  dawning, 
the  gallant  young  prince  of  Dilaram  was  hunting  by  the 
banks  of  the  river,  with  a  great  following  of  wazirs, 
attendants,  and  huntsmen,  and  as  he  rode  he  saw  floating 
on  the  river  a  large  chest,  which  came  slowly  along, 
bobbing  and  turning  in  the  tide.  Raising  himself  in  his 
saddle,  he  gave  an  order,  and  half  a  dozen  men  plunged 
into  the  water  and,  drew  the  chest  out  on  to  the  river 
bank,  where  every  one  crowded  around  to  see  what  it 
could  contain.  The  prince  was  certainly  not  the  least 
curious  among  them  ;  but  he  was  a  cautious  young 


ppipeass  Talaasad  fpor)  5ha 


THE  JOOPS  PUNISHMENT  39 

man,  and,  as  he  prepared  to  open  the  chest  himself,  he 
bade  all  but  a  few  stand  back,  and  these  few  to  draw 
their  swords,  so  as  to  be  prepared  in  case  the  chest  should 
hold  some  evil  beast,  or  djinn,  or  giant.  When  all  were 
ready  and  expectant,  the  prince  with  his  dagger  forced 
open  the  lid  and  flung  it  back,  and  there  lay,  living  and 
breathing,  the  most  lovely  maiden  he  had  ever  seen  in 
his  life. 

Although  she  was  half  stifled  from  her  confinement 
in  the  chest,  the  princess  speedily  revived,  and,  when 
she  was  able  to  sit  up,  the  prince  began  to  question  her 
as  to  who  she  was  and  how  she  came  to  be  shut  up  in 
the  chest  and  set  afloat  upon  the  water.;  and  she, 
blushing  and  trembling  to  find  herself  in  the  presence 
of  so  many  strangers,  told  him  that  she  was  the  princess 
of  Rahmatabad,  and  that  she  had  been  put  into  the 
chest  by  her  own  father.  When  he  on  his  part  told  her 
that  he  was  the  prince  of  Dilaram,  the  astonishment  of 
the  young  people  was  unbounded  to  find  that  they, 
who  had  been  betrothed  without  ever  having  seen  one 
another,  should  have  actually  met  for  the  first  time 
in  such  strange  circumstances.  In  fact,  the  prince 
was  so  moved  by  her  beauty  and  modest  ways  that  he 
called  up  his  wazirs  and  demanded  to  be  married  at 
once  to  this  lovely  lady  who  had  so  completely  won  his 
heart.  And  married  they  were  then  and  there  upon  the 
river  bank,  and  went  home  to  the  prince's  palace, 
where,  when  the  story  was  told,  they  were  welcomed 
by  the  old  rajah,  the  prince's  father,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  day  was  given  over  to  feasting  and  rejoicing. 
But  when  the  banquet  was  over,  the  bride  told  her 
husband  that  now,  on  the  threshold  of  their  married 
life,  she  had  more  to  relate  of  her  adventures  than 
he  had  given  her  the  opportunity  to  tell  as  yet ;  and 
then,  without  hiding  anything,  she  informed  him  of  all 
that  happened  to  her  from  the  time  she  had  stolen  out 
to  visit  the  wicked  jogi. 


40 


THE  JOQ-PS  PUNISHMENT 


In  the  morning  the  prince  called  his  chief  wazir  and 
ordered  him  to  shut  up  in  the  chest  in  which  the  princess 
had  been  found  a  great  monkey  that  lived  chained  up 
in  the  palace,  and  to  take  the  chest  back  to  the  river 
and  set  it  afloat  once  more  and  watch  what  became  of 


it.  So  the  monkey  was  caught  and  put  into  the  chest, 
and  some  of  the  prince's  servants  took  it  down  to  the 
river  and  pushed  it  off  into  the  water.  Then  they 
followed  secretly  a  long  way  off  to  see  what  became  of  it. 
Meanwhile  the  jogi's  two  pupils  watched  and  watched 
for  the  chest  until  they  were  nearly  tired  of  watching, 


THE  JOGPS  PUNISHMENT  41 

and  were  beginning  to  wonder  whether  the  jogi  was 
right  after  all,  when  on  the  second  day  they  spied  the 
great  chest  coming  floating  on  the  river,  slowly  bobbing 
and  turning  in  the  tide  ;  and  instantly  a  great  joy  and 
exultation  seized  them,  for  they  thought  that  here 
indeed  was  further  proof  of  the  wonderful  wisdom  of 
their  master.  With  some  difficulty  they  secured  the 
chest,  and  carried  it  back  as  swiftly  and  secretly  as 
possible  to  the  jogi's  house.  As  soon  as  they  brought  in 
the  chest,  the  jogi,  who  had  been  getting  very  cross  and 
impatient,  told  them  to  put  it  down,  and  to  go  outside 
whilst  he  opened  the  magic  chest. 

'  And  even  if  you  hear  cries  and  sounds,  however 
alarming,  you  must  on  no  account  enter,'  said  the  jogi, 
walking  over  to  a  closet  where  lay  the  silken  cord  that 
was  to  strangle  the  princess. 

And  the  two  pupils  did  as  they  were  told,  and  went 
outside  and  shut  close  all  the  doors.  Presently  they 
heard  a  great  outcry  within,  and  the  jogi's  voice  crying 
aloud  for  help  ;  but  they  dared  not  enter,  for  had  they 
not  been  told  that  whatever  the  noise,  they  must  not 
come  in  ?  So  they  sat  outside,  waiting  and  wondering  ; 
and  at  last  all  grew  still  and  quiet,  and  remained  so  for 
such  a  long  time  that  they  determined  to  enter  and  see 
if  all  was  well.  No  sooner  had  they  opened  the  door 
leading  into  the  courtyard  than  they  were  nearly  upset 
by  a  huge  monkey  that  came  leaping  straight  to  the 
doorway  and  escaped  past  them  into  the  open  fields. 
Then  they  stepped  into  the  room,  and  there  they 
saw  the  jogi's  body  lying  torn  to  pieces  on  the  threshold 
of  his  dwelling  ! 

Very  soon  the  story  spread,  as  stories  will,  and  reached 
the  ears  of  the  princess  and  her  husband,  and  when  she 
knew  that  her  enemy  was  dead  she  made  her  peace  with 
her  father. 

From  Major  Campbell,  Feroshepore. 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 


A  LONG  time  ago  a  little  town  made  up  of  a  collection 
of  low  huts  stood  in  a  tiny  green  valley  at  the  foot  of 
a  cliff.  Of  course-  the  people  had  taken  great  care  to 
build  their  houses  out  of  reach  of  the  highest  tide  which 
might  be  driven  on  shore  by  a  west  wind,  but  on  the 
very  edge  of  the  town  there  had  sprung  up  a  tree  so 
large  that  half  its  boughs  hung  over  the  huts  and  the 
other  half  over  the  deep  sea  right  under  the  cliff,  where 
sharks  loved  to  come  and  splash  in  the  clear  water. 
The  branches  of  the  tree  itself  were  laden  with  fruit,  and 
every  day  at  sunrise  a  big  grey  monkey  might  have  been 
seen  sitting  in  the  topmost  branches  having  his  break- 
fast, and  chattering  to  himself  with  delight. 

After  he  had  eaten  all  the  fruit  on  the  town  side  of 
the  tree  the  monkey  swung  himself  along  the  branches 
to  the  part  which  hung  over  the  wrater.  While  he  was 
looking  out  for  a  nice  shady  place  where  he  might 
perch  comfortably  he  noticed  a  shark  watching  him 
from  below  with  greedy  eyes. 

'  Can  I  do  anything  for  you,  my  friend  ?  '  asked  the 
monkey  politely. 

'  Oh  !  if  you  only  would  throw  me  down  some  of 
those  delicious  things,  I  should  be  so  grateful,'  answered 
the  shark.  '  After  you  have  lived  on  fish  for  fifty  years 
JTOU  begin  to  feel  you  would  like  a  change.  And  I  am 
so  very,  very  tired  of  the  taste  of  salt.' 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY  43 

'  Well,  I  don't  like  salt  myself,'  said  the  monkey  ; 
'  so  if  you  will  open  your  mouth  I  will  throw  this  beautiful 
juicy  kuyu  into  it,'  and,  as  he  spoke,  he  pulled  one  off 
the  branch  just  over  his  head.  But  it  was  not  so  easy 
to  hit  the  shark's  mouth  as  he  supposed,  even  when  the 
creature  had  turned  on  his  back,  and  the  first  kuyu 
only  struck  one  of  his  teeth  and  rolled  into  the  water. 


However,  the  second  time  the  monkey  had  better  luck, 
and  the  fruit  fell  right  in. 

'  Ah,  how  good  !  '  cried  the  shark.  '  Send  me 
another,  please,'  and  the  monkey  grew  tired  of  picking 
the  kuyu  long  before  the  shark  was  tired  of  eating 
them. 

'  It  is  getting  late,  and  I  must  be  going  home  to  my 


44  THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 

children,'  he  said,  at  length,  '  but  if  you  are  here  at  the 
same  time  to-morrow  I  will  give  you  another  treat.' 

'  Thank  you,  thank  you,'  said  the  shark,  showing 
all  his  great  ugly  teeth  as  he  grinned  with  delight ; 
*  you  can't  guess  how  happy  you  have  made  me,'  and 
he  swam  away  into  the  shadow,  hoping  to  sleep  away 
the  time  till  the  monkey  came  again. 

For  weeks  the  monkey  and  the  shark  breakfasted 
together,  and  it  was  a  wonder  that  the  tree  had  any 
fruit  left  for  them.  They  became  fast  friends,  and  told 
each  other  about  their  homes  and  their  children,  and 
how  to  teach  them  all  they  ought  to  know.  By  and  bye 
the  monkey  became  rather  discontented  with  his 
green  house  in  a  grove  of  palms  beyond  the  town,  and 
longed  to  see  the  strange  things  under  the  sea  which 
he  had  heard  of  from  the  shark.  The  shark  perceived 
this  very  clearly,  and  described  greater  marvels,  and 
the  monkey  as  he  listened  grew  more  and  more  gloomy. 

Matters  wrere  in  this  state  when  one  day  the  shark 
said :  '  I  really  hardly  know  how  to  thank  you  for  all 
your  kindness  to  me  during  these  weeks.  Here  I  have 
nothing  of  my  own  to  offer  you,  but  if  you  would 
only  consent  to  come  home  with  me,  how  gladly  would 
I  give  you  anything  that  might  happen  to  take  your 
fancy.' 

*  I  should  like  nothing  better,'  cried  the  monkey, 
his  teeth  chattering,  as  they  always  did  when  he  was 
pleased.  '  But  how  could  I  get  there  ?  Not  by  water. 
Ugh  !  It  makes  me  ill  to  think  of  it  !  ' 

'  Oh  !  don't  let  that  trouble  you,'  replied  the  shark, 
'  you  have  only  to  sit  on  my  back  and  I  will  undertake 
that  not  a  drop  of  water  shall  touch  you.' 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  directly  after  breakfast 
next  morning  the  shark  swam  close  up  under  the  tree 
and  the  monkey  dropped  neatly  on  his  back,  without 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY  45 

even  a  splash.  After  a  few  minutes — for  at  first  he  felt 
a  little  frightened  at  his  strange  position — the  monkey 
began  to  enjoy  himself  vastly,  and  asked  the  shark  a 
thousand  questions  about  the  fish  and  the  sea-weeds 
and  the  oddly-shaped  things  that  floated  past  them,  and 
as  the  shark  always  gave  him  some  sort  of  answer,  the 
monkey  never  guessed  that  many  of  the  objects  they 
saw  were  as  new  to  his  guide  as  to  himself. 

The  sun  had  risen  and  set  six  times  when  the  shark 
suddenly  said,  '  My  friend,  we  have  now  performed 
half  our  journey,  and  it  is  time  that  I  should  tell  you 
something.' 

'  What  is  it  ? '  asked  the  monkey.  '  Nothing 
unpleasant,  I  hope,  for  you  sound  rather  grave  ?  ' 

'  Oh,  no  !  Nothing  at  all.  It  is  only  that  shortly 
before  we  left  I  heard  that  the  sultan  of  my  country  is 
very  ill,  and  that  the  only  thing  to  cure  him  is  a 
monkey's  heart.' 

'  Poor  man,  I  am  very  sorry  for  him,'  replied  the 
monkey  ;  '  but  you  were  unwise  not  to  tell  me  till  we 
had  started.' 

'  What  do  you  mean  ?  '  asked  the  shark  ;  but  the 
monkey,  who  now  understood  the  whole  plot,  did  not 
answer  at  once,  for  he  was  considering  what  he  should 
say. 

'  Why  are  you  so  silent  ?  '  inquired  the  shark  again. 

'  I  was  thinking  what  a  pity  it  was  you  did  not  tell 
me  while  I  was  still  on  land,  and  then  I  would  have 
brought  my  heart  with  me.' 

'  Your  heart  !  Why  isn't  your  heart  here  ?  '  said 
the  shark,  with  a  puzzled  expression. 

*  Oh,  no  !  Of  course  not.  Is  it  possible  you  don't 
know  that  when  we  leave  home  we  always  hang  up  our 
hearts  on  trees,  to  prevent  their  being  troublesome  ? 
However,  perhaps  you  won't  believe  that,  and  will  just 
think  I  have  invented  it  because  I  am  afraid,  so  let  us 


46 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 


go  on  to  your  country  as  fast  as  we  can,  and  when  we 
arrive  you  can  look  for  my  heart,  and  if  you  find  it  you 
can  kill  me.' 

The  monkey  spoke  in  such  a  calm,  indifferent  way 
that  the  shark  was  quite  deceived,  and  began  to  wish 
he  had  not  beon  in  such  a  hurry. 


'  But  there  is  no  use  going  on  if  your  heart  is  not 
with  you,'  he  said  at  last.  '  We  had  better  turn  back 
to  the  town,  and  then  you  can  fetch  it.' 

Of  course,  this  was  just  what  the  monkey  wanted, 
but  he  was  careful  not  to  seem  too  pleased. 

'Well,  I  don't  know,'  he  remarked  carelessly,  'it 
is  such  a  long  way  ;  but  you  may  be  right.' 

'  I  am  sure  I  cm,'  answered  the  shark,  '  and  I  will 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY  47 

swim  as  quickly  as  I  can,'  and  so  he  did.  and  in  three 
days  they  caught  sight  of  the  kuyu  tree  hanging  over 
the  water. 

With  a  sigh  of  relief  the  monkey  caught  hold  of  the 
nearest  branch  and  swung  himself  up. 

'  Wait  for  me  here,'  he  called  out  to  the  shark.  '  I 
am  so  hungry  I  must  have  a  little  breakfast,  and  then 
I  will  go  and  look  for  my  heart,'  and  he  went  further  and 
further  into  the  branches  so  that  the  shark  could  not  see 
him.  Then  he  curled  himself  up  and  went  to  sleep. 

'  Are  you  there  ?  '  cried  the  shark,  who  was  soon 
tired  of  swimming  about  under  the  cliff,  and  was  in 
haste  to  be  gone. 

The  monkey  awoke  with  a  start,  but  did  not  answer. 

'  Are  you  there,  ?  '  called  the  shark  again,  louder  than 
before,  and  in  a  very  cross  voice. 

'  Oh,  yes.  I  am  here,'  replied  the  monkey  ;  '  but 
I  wish  you  had  not  wakened  me  up.  I  was  having  such 
a  nice  nap.' 

'  Have  you  got  it  ?  '  asked  the  shark.  '  It  is  time 
we  were  going.' 

'  Going  where  ?  *  inquired  the  monkey. 

'  Why,  to  my  country,  of  course,  with  your  heart. 
You  can't  have  forgotten  !  ' 

'  My  dear  friend,'  answered  the  monkey,  with  a 
chuckle,  '  I  think  you  must  be  going  a  little  mad.  Do 
you  take  me  for  a  washerman's  donkey  ?  ' 

'  Don't  talk  nonsense,'  exclaimed  the  shark,  who 
did  not  like  being  laughed  at.  '  What  do  you  mean 
about  a  washerman's  donkey  ?  And  I  wish  you  would 
be  quick,  or  we  may  be  too  late  to  save  the  sultan.' 

'  Did  you  really  never  hear  of  the  washerman's 
donkey  ?  '  asked  the  monkey,  who  was  enjoying  himself 
immensely.  '  Why,  he  is  the  beast  who  has  no  heart. 
And  as  I  am  not  feeling  very  well,  and  am  afraid  to  start 
while  the  sun  is  so  high  lest  I  should  get  a  sunstroke, 


48  THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 

if  you  like,  I  will  come  a  little  nearer  and  tell  you  his 
story.' 

'  Very  well,'  said  the  shark  sulkily,  '  if  you  won't 
come,  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  listen  to  that  as  do 
nothing.' 

So  the  monkey  began. 

'  A  washerman  once  lived  in  the  great  forest  on  the 
other  side  of  the  town,  and  he  had  a  donkey  to  keep  him 
company  and  to  carry  him  wherever  he  wanted  to  go. 
For  a  time  they  got  on  very  well,  but  by  and  bye  the 
donkey  grew  lazy  and  ungrateful  for  her  master's 
kindness,  and  ran  away  several  miles  into  the  heart  of 
the  forest,  where  she  did  nothing  but  eat  and  eat  and 
eat,  till  she  grew  so  fat  she  could  hardly  move. 

'  One  day  as  she  was  tasting  quite  a  new  kind  of 
grass  and  wondering  if  it  was  as  good  as  what  she  had 
had  for  dinner  the  day  before,  a  hare  happened  to  pass  by. 

'  "  Well,  that  is  a  fat  creature,"  thought  she,  and 
turned  out  of  her  path  to  tell  the  news  to  a  lion  who 
was  a  friend  of  hers.  Now  the  lion  had  been  very  ill, 
and  was  not  strong  enough  to  go  hunting  for  himself, 
and  when  the  hare  came  and  told  him  that  a  very  fat 
donkey  was  to  be  found  only  a  few  hundred  yards  off, 
tears  of  disappointment  and  weakness  filled  his  eyes. 

'  "  What  is  the  good  of  telling  me  that  ?  "  he  asked, 
in  a  weepy  voice  ;  "  you  know  I  cannot  even  walk  as 
far  as  that  palm." 

'  "  Never  mind,"  answered  the  hare  briskly.  "  If 
you  can't  go  to  your  dinner  your  dinner  shall  come  to 
you,"  and  nodding  a  farewell  to  the  lion  she  went  back 
to  the  donkey. 

'  "  Good  morning,"  said  she,  bowing  politely  to  the 
donkey,  who  lifted  her  head  in  surprise.  "  Excuse  my 
interrupting  you,  but  I  have  come  on  very  important 
business." 

'  "  Indeed,"  answered  the  donkey,  "  it  is  most  kind 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 


49 


of  you  to  take  the  trouble.     May  I  inquire  what  the 
business  is  ?  " 

'  "  Certainly,"  replied  the  hare.  "  It  is  my  friend  the 
lion  who  has  heard  so  much  of  your  charms  and  good 
qualities  that  he  has  sent  me  to  beg  that  you  will  give 


him  your  paw  in  marriage.  He  regrets  deeply  that  he 
is  unable  to  make  the  request  in  person,  but  he  has  been 
ill  and  is  too  weak  to  move." 

'  "  Poor  fellow  !  How  sad  !  "  said  the  donkey. 
"  But  you  must  tell  him  that  I  feel  honoured  by  his  pro- 
posal, and  will  gladly  consent  to  be  Queen  of  the  Beasts." 


50  THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 

'  "  Will  you  not  come  and  tell  him  so  yourself  ?  " 
asked  the  hare. 

'  Side  by  side  they  went  down  the  road  which  led  to 
the  lion's  house.  It  took  a  long  while,  for  the  donkey 
was  so  fat  with  eating  she  could  only  walk  very  slowly, 
and  the  hare,  who  could  have  run  the  distance  in  about 
five  minutes,  was  obliged  to  creep  along  till  she  almost 
dropped  with  fatigue  at  not  being  able  to  go  at  her  own 
pace.  When  at  last  they  arrived  the  lion  was  sitting 
up  at  the  entrance,  looking  very  pale  and  thin.  The 
donkey  suddenly  grew  shy  and  hung  her  head,  but  the 
lion  put  on  his  best  manners  and  invited  both  his 
visitors  to  come  in  and  make  themselves  comfortable. 

'  Very  soon  the  hare  got  up  and  said  "  Well,  as  1 
have  another  engagement  I  will  leave  you  to  make 
acquaintance  with  your  future  husband,"  and  winking 
at  the  lion  she  bounded  away. 

'  The  donkey  expected  that  as  soon  as  they  were  left 
alone  the  lion  would  begin  to  speak  of  their  marriage, 
and  where  they  should  live,  but  as  he  said  nothing  she 
looked  up.  To  her  surprise  and  terror  she  saw  him 
crouching  in  the  corner,  his  eyes  glaring  with  a  red  light, 
and  with  a  loud  roar  he  sprang  towards  her.  But  in 
that  moment  the  donkey  had  had  time  to  prepare  her- 
self, and  jumping  on  one  side  dealt  the  lion  such  a  hard 
kick  that  he  shrieked  with  the  pain.  Again  and  again 
he  struck  at  her  with  his  claws,  but  the  donkey  could  bite 
too,  as  well  as  the  lion,  who  was  very  weak  after  his 
illness,  and  at  last  a  well-planted  kick  knocked  him  right 
over,  and  he  rolled  on  the  floor,  groaning  with  pain. 
The  donkey  did  not  wait  for  him  to  get  up,  but  ran 
away  as  fast  as  she  could  and  was  lost  in  the  forest. 

'  Now  the  hare,  who  knew  quite  well  what  would 
happen,  had  not  gone  to  do  her  business,  but  hid  herself 
in  some  bushes  behind  the  cave,  where  she  could  hear 
quite  clearly  the  sounds  of  the  battle.  When  all  was 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY  51 

quiet  again  she  crept  gently  out,  and  stole  round  the 
corner. 

'  "  Well,  lion,  have  you  killed  her  ?  "  asked  she, 
running  swiftly  up  the  path. 

'  "  Killed  her,  indeed  !  "  answered  the  lion  sulkily, 
"it  is  she  who  has  nearly  killed  me.  I  never  knew  a 
donkey  could  kick  like  that,  though  I  took  care  she 
should  carry  away  the  marks  of  my  claws." 

'  ' '  Dear  me  !  Fancy  such  a  great  fat  creature  being 
able  to  fight !  "  cried  the  hare.  "  But  don't  vex  yourself. 
Just  lie  still,  and  your  wounds  will  soon  heal,"  and  she 
bade  her  friend  good  bye,  and  returned  to  her  family. 

'  Two  or  three  weeks  passed,  and  only  bare  places  on 
the  donkey's  back  showed  where  the  lion's  claws  had 
been,  while,  on  his  side,  the  lion  had  recovered  from  his 
illness  and  was  now  as  strong  as  ever.  He  was  beginning 
to  think  that  it  was  almost  time  for  him  to  begin  hunting 
again,  when  one  morning  a  rustle  was  heard  in  the 
creepers  outside,  and  the  hare's  head  peeped  through. 

'  "Ah  !  there  is  no  need  to  ask  how  you  are,"  she 
said.  "  Still  you  mustn't  overtire  yourself,  you  know. 
Shall  I  go  and  bring  you  your  dinner  ?  " 

"  If  you  will  bring  me  that  donkey  I  will  tear  it  in 
two,"  cried  the  lion  savagely,  and  the  hare  laughed  and 
nodded  and  went  on  her  errand. 

'  This  time  the  donkey  was  much  further  than  before, 
and  it  took  longer  to  find  her.  At  last  the  hare  caught 
sight  of  four  hoofs  in  the  air,  and  ran  towards  them. 
The  donkey  was  lying  on  a  soft  cool  bed  of  moss  near  a 
stream,  rolling  herself  backwards  and  forwards  from 
pleasure. 

'  "Good  morning,"  said  the  hare  politely,  and  the 
donkey  got  slowly  on  to  her  legs,  and  looked  to  see  who 
her  visitor  could  be. 

'  "  Oh,  it  is  you,  is  it  ?  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Come  and 
have  a  chat.  What  news  have  you  got  ?  " 

E2 


52  THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY 

'  "  I  mustn't  stay,"  answered  the  hare  ;  "  but  I 
promised  the  lion  to  beg  you  to  pay  him  a  visit,  as  he  is 
not  well  enough  to  call  on  you." 

'  "  Well,  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  donkey  gloomily, 
"  the  last  time  we  went  he  scratched  me  very  badly,  and 
really  I  was  quite  afraid." 

' "  He  was  only  trying  to  kiss  you,"  said  the  hare, 
"  and  you  bit  him,  and  of  course  that  made  him  cross." 

'  "  If  I  were  sure  of  that,"  hesitated  the  donkey. 

'  "  Oh,  you  may  be  quite  sure,"  laughed  the  hare. 
"  I  have  a  large  acquaintance  among  lions.  But  let  us 
be  quick,"  and  rather  unwillingly  the  donkey  set  out. 

'  The  lion  saw  them  coming  and  hid  himself  behind  a 
large  tree.  As  the  donkey  went  past,  followed  by  the 
hare,  he  sprang  out,  and  with  one  blow  of  his  paw 
stretched  the  poor  foolish  creature  dead  before  him. 

'  "  Take  this  meat  and  skin  it  and  roast  it,"  he  said 
to  the  hare  ;  "  but  my  appetite  is  not  so  good  as  it  was, 
and  the  only  part  I  want  for  myself  is  the  heart.  The 
rest  you  can  either  eat  yourself  or  give  away  to  your 
friends." 

' "  Thank  you,"  replied  the  hare,  balancing  the 
donkey  on  her  back  as  well  as  she  wras  able,  and  though 
the  legs  trailed  along  the  ground  she  managed  to  drag 
it  to  an  open  space  some  distance  off,  where  she  made  a 
fire  and  roasted  it.  As  soon  as  it  was  cooked  the  hare 
took  out  the  heart  and  had  just  finished  eating  it  when 
the  lion,  who  was  tired  of  waiting,  came  up. 

'  "  I  am  hungry,"  said  he.  "  Bring  me  the  creature's 
heart ;  it  is  just  what  I  want  for  supper." 

'  "  But  there  is  no  heart,"  answered  the  hare,  looking 
up  at  the  lion  with  a  puzzled  face. 

'  "  What  nonsense  !  "  said  the  lion.  "As  if  every 
beast  had  not  got  a  heart.  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

'  "  This  is  a  washerman's  donkey,"  replied  the  hare 
gravely. 

'  "Well,  and  suppose  it  is  ?  " 


THE  HEART  OF  A   MONKEY  53 

'  "  Oh,  fie  !  "  exclaimed  the  hare.  "  You,  a  lion  and 
a  grown-up  person,  and  ask  questions  like  that.  If  the 
donkey  had  had  a  heart  would  she  be  here  now  ?  The 
first  time  she  came  she  knew  you  were  trying  to  kill  her, 
and  ran  away.  Yet  she  came  back  a  second  time. 
Well,  if  she  had  had  a  heart  would  she  have  come  back 
a  second  time  ?  Now  would  she  ?  " 

'And  the  lion  answered  slowly,  "No,  she  would 
not." 

'  So  you  think  I  am  a  washerman's  donkey  ?  '  said 
the  monkey  to  the  shark,  when  the  story  was  ended. 
'  You  are  wrong  ;  I  am  not.  And  as  the  sun  is  getting 
low  in  the  sky,  it  is  time  for  you  to  begin  your  homeward 
journey.  You  will  have  a  nice  cool  voyage,  and  I  hope 
you  will  find  the  sultan  better.  Farewell ! '  And  the 
monkey  disappeared  among  the  green  branches,  and  was 
gone. 

From  '  Swahili  Tales,'  by  Edward  Steere,  LL.D. 


THE  FAIRY  NURSE 


THERE  was  once  a  little  farmer  and  his  wife  living  near 
Coolgarrow.  They  had  three  children,  and  my  story 
happened  while  the  youngest  was  a  baby.  The  wife 
was  a  good  wife  enough,  but  her  mind  was  all  on 
her  family  and  her  farm,  and  she  hardly  ever  went  to 
her  knees  without  falling  asleep,  and  she  thought  the 
time  spent  in  the  chapel  was  twice  as  long  as  it  need  be. 
So,  friends,  she  let  her  man  and  her  two  children  go 
before  her  one  day  to  Mass,  while  she  called  to  consult 
a  fairy  man  about  a  disorder  one  of  her  cows  had.  She 
was  late  at  the  chapel,  and  was  sorry  all  the  day  after, 
for  her  husband  was  in  grief  about  it,  and  she  was  very 
fond  of  him. 

Late  that  night  he  was  wakened  up  by  the  cries  of 
his  children  calling  out  '  Mother  !  mother  !  '  When  he 
sat  up  and  rubbed  his  eyes,  there  was  no  wife  by  his 
side,  and  when  he  asked  the  little  ones  what  was  become 
of  their  mother,  they  said  they  saw  the  room  full  of  nice 
little  men  and  women,  dressed  in  white  and  red  and 
green,  and  their  mother  in  the  middle  of  them,  going 
out  by  the  door  as  if  she  was  walking  in  her  sleep.  Out 
he  ran,  and  searched  everywhere  round  the  house,  but 
neither  tale  nor  tidings  did  he  get  of  her  for  many  a 
day. 

Well,  the  poor  man  was  miserable  enough,  for  he 
was  as  fond  of  his  woman  as  she  was  of  him.  It  used 
to  bring  the  salt  tears  down  his  cheeks  to  see  his  poor 


THE  FAIRY  NURSE 


55 


children  neglected  and  dirty,  as  they  often  were,  and 
they'd  be  bad  enough  only  for  a  kind  neighbour  that 


used  to  look  in  whenever  she  could  spare  time.     The 
infant  was  away  with  a  nurse. 


56  THE  FAIRY  NURSE 

About  six  weeks  after — just  as  he  was  going  out  to 
his  work  one  morning — a  neighbour,  that  used  to  mind 
women  when  they  were  ill,  came  up  to  him,  and  kept 
step  by  step  with  him  to  the  field,  and  this  is  what  she 
told  him. 

'  Just  as  I  was  falling  asleep  last  night,  I  heard  a 
horse's  tramp  on  the  grass  and  a  knock  at  the  door, 
and  there,  when  I  came  out,  was  a  fine-looking  dark 
man,  mounted  on  a  black  horse,  and  he  told  me  to  get 
ready  in  all  haste,  for  a  lady  was  in  great  want  of  me. 
As  soon  as  I  put  on  my  cloak  and  things,  he  took  me 
by  the  hand,  and  I  was  sitting  behind  him  before  I  felt 
myself  stirring.  "  Where  are  we  going,  sir  ?  "  says  I. 
"  You'll  soon  know,"  says  he  ;  and  he  drew  his  fingers 
across  my  eyes,  and  not  a  ray  could  I  see.  I  kept  a 
tight  grip  of  him,  and  I  little  knew  whether  he  was 
going  backwards  or  forwards,  or  how  long  we  were 
about  it,  till  my  hand  was  taken  again,  and  I  felt  the 
ground  under  me.  The  fingers  went  the  other  way 
across  my  eyes,  and  there  we  were  before  a  castle 
door,  and  in  we  went  through  a  big  hall  and  great 
rooms  all  painted  in  fine  green  colours,  with  red  arid 
gold  bands  and  ornaments,  and  the  finest  carpets  and 
chairs  and  tables  and  window  curtains,  and  grand  ladies 
and  gentlemen  walking  about.  At  last  we  came  to  a 
bedroom,  with  a  beautiful  lady  in  bed,  with  a  fine 
bouncing  boy  beside  her.  The  lady  clapped  her  hands, 
and  in  came  the  Dark  Man  and  kissed  her  and  the  baby, 
and  praised  me,  and  gave  me  a  bottle  of  green  ointment 
to  rub  the  child  all  over. 

'  Well,  the  child  I  rubbed,  sure  enough  ;  but  my 
right  eye  began  to  smart,  and  I  put  up  my  finger  and 
gave  it  a  rub,  and  then  stared,  for  never  in  all  my  life 
was  I  so  frightened.  The  beautiful  room  was  a  big, 
rough  cave,  with  water  oozing  over  the  edges  of  the 
stones  and  through  the  clay  ;  and  the  lady,  and  the 
lord,  and  the  child  weazened,  poverty-bitten  creatures — 


THE  FAIRY  NURSE  57 

nothing  but  skin  and  bone — and  the  rich  dresses  were 
old  rags.  I  didn't  let  on  that  I  found  any  difference, 
and  after  a  bit  says  the  Dark  Man,  "  Go  before  me  to 
the  hall  door,  and  I  will  be  with  you  in  a  few  moments, 
and  see  you  safe  home."  Well,  just  as  I  turned  into 
the  outside  cave,  who  should  I  see  watching  near  the 
door  but  poor  Molly.  She  looked  round  all  terrified, 
and  says  she  to  me  in  a  whisper,  "  I'm  brought  here  to 
nurse  the  child  of  the  king  and  queen  of  the  fairies  ;  but 
there  is  one  chance  of  saving  me.  All  the  court  wall 
pass  the  cross  near  Templeshambo  next  Friday  night, 
on  a  visit  to  the  fairies  of  Old  Ross.  If  John  can 
catch  me  by  the  hand  or  cloak  when  I  ride  by,  and 
has  courage  not  to  let  go  his  grip,  I'll  be  safe.  Here's 
the  king.  Don't  open  your  mouth  to  answer.  I  saw 
what  happened  with  the  ointment." 

'  The  Dark  Man  didn't  once  cast  his  eye  towards 
Molly,  and  he  seemed  to  have  no  suspicion  of  me. 
When  we  came  out  I  looked  about  me,  and  where  do 
you  think  we  were  but  in  the  dyke  of  the  Rath  of 
Cromogue.  I  was  on  the  horse  again,  which  was 
nothing  but  a  big  rag-weed,  and  I  was  in  dread  every 
minute  I'd  fall  off  ;  but  nothing  happened  till  I  found 
myself  in  my  own  cabin.  The  king  slipped  five  guineas 
into  my  hand  as  soon  as  I  was  on  the  ground,  and 
thanked  me,  and  bade  me  good  night.  I  hope  I'll  never 
see  his  face  again.  I  got  into  bed,  and  couldn't  sleep 
for  a  long  time  ;  and  when  I  examined  my  five  guineas 
this  morning,  that  I  left  in  the  table  drawer  the  last 
thing,  I  found  five  withered  leaves  of  oak — bad  luck 
to  the  giver  !  ' 

Well,  you  may  all  think  the  fright,  and  the  joy,  and 
the  grief  the  poor  man  was  in  when  the  woman  finished 
her  story.  They  talked  and  they  talked,  but  we 
needn't  mind  what  they  said  till  Friday  night  came, 
when  both  were  standing  where  the  mountain  road 
crosses  the  one  going  to  Ross. 


58  THE  FAIRY  NURSE 

There  they  stood,  looking  towards  the  bridge  of  Thuar, 
in  the  dead  of  the  night,  with  a  little  moonlight  shining 
from  over  Kilachdiarmid.  At  last  she  gave  a  start, 
and  "  By  this  and  by  that,"  says  she,  "  here  they  come, 
bridles  jingling  and  feathers  tossing  !  "  He  looked,  but 
could  see  nothing  ;  and  she  stood  trembling  and  her 
eyes  wide  open,  looking  down  the  way  to  the  ford  of 
Ballinacoola.  "  I  see  your  wife,"  says  she,  "  riding 
on  the  outside  just  so  as  to  rub  against  us.  We'll  walk 
on  quietly,  as  if  we  suspected  nothing,  and  when  we 
are  passing  I'll  give  you  a  shove.  If  you  don't  do 
your  duty  then,  woe  be  with  you  !  " 

Well,  they  walked  on  easy,  and  the  poor  hearts 
beating  in  both  their  breasts  ;  and  though  he  could  see 
nothing,  he  heard  a  faint  jingle  and  trampling  and 
rustling,  and  at  last  he  got  the  push  that  she  promised. 
He  spread  out  his  arms,  and  there  was  his  wife's  waist 
within  them,  and  he  could  see  her  plain  ;  but  such  a 
hullabulloo  rose  as  if  there  was  an  earthquake,  and  he 
found  himself  surrounded  by  horrible-looking  things, 
roaring  at  him  and^  string  to  pull  his  wife  away.  But 
he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  bid  them  begone  in 
God's  name,  and  held  his  wife  as  if  it  was  iron  his  arms 
were  made  of.  Bedad,  in  one  moment  everything 
was  as  silent  as  the  grave,  and  the  poor  woman  lying 
in  a  faint  in  the  arms  of  her  husband  and  her  good 
neighbour.  Well,  all  in  good  time  she  was  minding 
her  family  and  her  business  again  ;  and  I'll  go  bail,  after 
the  fright  she  got,  she  spent  more  time  on  her  knees,  and 
avoided  fairy  men  all  the  days  of  the  week,  and  par- 
ticularly on  Sunday. 

It  is  hard  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  good 
people  without  getting  a  mark  from  them.  My  brave 
nurse  didn't  escape  no  more  than  another.  She  was 
one  Thursday  at  the  market  of  Enniscorthy,  when 
what  did  she  see  walking  among  the  tubs  of  butter 


QOT  3-I1S   VITE.  BACK   FKOM  THE 


THE  FAIRY  NURSE  61 

scoop  out  of  one  tub  and  out  of  another.  '  Oh,  sir,' 
says  she,  very  foolish,  '  I  hope  your  lady  is  well,  and 
the  baby.'  '  Pretty  well,  thank  you,'  says  he,  rather 
frightened  like.  '  How  do  I  look  in  this  new  suit  ?  ' 
says  he,  getting  to  one  side  of  her.  '  I  can't  see  you  plain 
at  all,  sir,'  says  she.  '  Well,  now  ?  '  says  he,  getting 
round  her  back  to  the  other  side.  '  Musha,  indeed, 
sir,  your  coat  looks  no  better  than  a  withered  dock-leaf.' 
'  Maybe,  then,'  says  he,  '  it  will  be  different  now,'  and 
he  struck  the  eye  next  him  with  a  switch. 

Friends,  she  never  saw  a  glimmer  after  with  that 
one  till  the  day  of  her  death. 

'  Legendary  Fictions  of  the  Irish  Celts,'  by  Patrick  Kennedy. 


A  LOST  PARADISE 


IN  the  middle  of  a  great  forest  there  lived  a  long  time 
ago  a  charcoal-burner  and  his  wife.  They  were  both 
young  and  handsome  and  strong,  and  when  they  got 
married,  they  thought  work  would  never  fail  them. 
But  bad  times  came,  and  they  grew  poorer  and  poorer, 
and  the  nights  in  which  they  went  hungry  to  bed 
became  more  and  more  frequent. 

Now  one  evening  the  king  of  that  country  was 
hunting  near  the  charcoal-burner's  hut.  As  he  passed 
the  door,  he  heard  a  sound  of  sobbing,  and  being  a  good- 
natured  man  he  stopped  to  listen,  thinking  that  perhaps 
he  might  be  able  to  give  some  help. 

'  Were  there  ever  two  people  so  unhappy  !  '  said  a 
woman's  voice.  '  Here  we  are,  ready  to  work  like 
slaves  the  whole  day  long,  and  no  work  can  we  get. 
And  it  is  all  because  of  the  curiosity  of  old  mother  Eve  ! 
If  she  had  only  been  like  me,  who  never  want  to  know 
anything,  we  should  all  have  been  as  happy  as  kings 
to-day,  with  plenty  to  eat,  and  warm  clothes  to  wear. 
Why —  '  but  at  this  point  a  loud  knock  interrupted 
her  lamentations. 

'  Who  is  there  ?  '  asked  she. 

'  I !  '  replied  somebody. 

'  And  who  is  "  I  "  ?  ' 

'  The  king.     Let  me  in.' 

Full  of  surprise  the  woman  jumped  up  and  pulled 
the  bar  away  from  the  door.  As  the  king  entered,  he 
noticed  that  there  was  no  furniture  in  the  room  at  all, 


A   LOST  PARADISE  63 

not  even  a  chair,  so  he  pretended  to  be  in  too  great  a 
hurry  to  see  anything  around  him,  and  only  said  *  You 
must  not  let  me  disturb  you,  I  have  no  time  to  stay,  but 
you  seemed  to  be  in  trouble.  Tell  me  ;  are  you  very 
unhappy  ?  ' 

'  Oh,  my  lord,  we  can  find  no  work  and  have  eaten 
nothing  for  two  days ! '  answered  she.  '  Nothing  remains 
for  us  but  to  die  of  hunger.' 

'  No,  no,  you  shan't  do  that,'  cried  the  king,  '  or  if 
you  do,  it  will  be  your  own  fault.  You  shall  come  with 
me  into  my  palace,  and  you  will  feel  as  if  you  were  in 
Paradise,  I  promise  you.  In  return,  I  only  ask  one  thing 
of  you,  that  you  shall  obey  my  orders  exactly.' 

The  charcoal-burner  and  his  wife  both  stared  at  him 
for  a  moment,  as  if  they  could  hardly  believe  their  ears  ; 
and,  indeed,  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at !  Then  they 
found  their  tongues,  and  exclaimed  together  : 

'  Oh,  yes,  yes,  my  lord  !  we  will  do  every  tiling  you 
tell  us.  How  could  we  be  so  ungrateful  as  to  disobey 
you,  when  you  are  so  kind  ?  ' 

The  king  smiled,  and  his  eyes  twinkled. 

'  Well,  let  us  start  at  once,'  said  he.  '  Lock  your 
door,  and  put  the  key  in  your  pocket.' 

The  woman  looked  as  if  she  thought  this  was  needless, 
seeing  it  was  quite,  quite  certain  they  would  never  come 
back.  But  she  dared  not  say  so,  and  did  as  the  king 
told  her. 

After  walking  through  the  forest  for  a  couple  of  miles, 
they  all  three  reached  the  palace,  and  by  the  king's 
orders  servants  led  the  charcoal-burner  and  his  wife 
into  rooms  filled  with  beautiful  things  such  as  they  had 
never  even  dreamed  of.  First  they  bathed  in  green 
marble  baths  where  the  water  looked  like  the  sea,  and 
then  they  put  on  silken  clothes  that  felt  soft  and  pleasant. 
When  they  were  ready,  one  of  the  king's  special  servants 
entered,  and  took  them  into  a  small  hall,  where  dinner 


64  A   LOST  PARADISE 

was  laid,  and  this  pleased  them  better  than  anything 
else. 

They  were  just  about  to  sit  down  to  the  table  when 
the  king  walked  in. 

'  I  hope  you  have  been  attended  to  properly,'  said 
he,  '  and  that  you  will  enjoy  your  dinner.  My  steward 
will  take  care  you  have  all  you  want,  and  I  wish  you  to 
do  exactly  as  you  please.  Oh,  by  the  bye,  there  is  one 
thing !  You  notice  that  soup-tureen  in  the  middle  of 
the  table  ?  Well,  be  careful  on  no  account  to  lift  the 
lid.  If  once  you  take  off  the  cover,  there  is  an  end  of 
your  good  fortune.'  Then,  bowing  to  his  guests,  he  left 
the  room. 

'  Did  you  hear  what  he  said  ?  '  inquired  the  charcoal- 
burner  in  an  awe-stricken  voice.  '  We  are  to  have 
what  we  want,  and  do  wrhat  we  please.  Only  we  must 
not  touch  the  soup-tureen.' 

'  No,  of  course  we  won't,'  answered  the  wife.  '  Why 
should  we  wish  to  ?  But  all  the  same  it  is  rather  odd, 
and  one  can't  help  wondering  what  is  inside.' 

For  many  days  life  went  on  like  a  beautiful  dream 
to  the  charcoal-burner  and  his  wife.  Their  beds  were 
so  comfortable,  they  could  hardly  make  up  their  minds 
to  get  up,  their  clothes  were  so  lovely  they  could  scarcely 
bring  themselves  to  take  them  off  ;  their  dinners  were 
so  good  that  they  found  it  very  difficult  to  leave  off 
eating.  Then  outside  the  palace  were  gardens  filled 
with  rare  flowers  and  fruits  and  singing  birds,  or  if  they 
desired  to  go  further,  a  golden  coach,  painted  with 
wreaths  of  forget-me-nots  and  lined  with  blue  satin, 
awaited  their  orders.  Sometimes  it  happened  that  the 
king  came  to  see  them,  and  he  smiled  as  he  glanced  at  the 
man,  who  was  getting  rosier  and  plumper  each  day. 
But  when  his  eyes  rested  on  the  woman,  they  took  on  a 
look  which  seemed  to  say  '  I  knew  it,'  though  this 
neither  the  charcoal-burner  nor  his  wife  ever  noticed. 


65 

'  Why  are  you  so  silent  ?  '  asked  the  man  one  morning 
when  dinner  had  passed  before  his  wife  had  uttered  one 
word.  '  A  little  while  ago  you  used  to  be  chattering  all 
the  day  long,  and  now  I  have  almost  forgotten  the  sound 
of  your  voice.' 

'  Oh,  nothing  ;  I  did  not  feel  inclined  to  talk,  that  was 
all !  '  She  stopped,  and  added  carelessly  after  a  pause, 
'  Don't  you  ever  wonder  what  is  in  that  soup-tureen  ?  ' 

'  No,  never,'  replied  the  man.  '  It  is  no  affair  of  ours,' 
and  the  conversation  dropped  once  more,  but  as  time 
went  on,  the  woman  spoke  less  and  less,  and  seemed 
so  wretched  that  her  husband  grew  quite  frightened 
about  her.  As  to  her  food,  she  refused  one  thing  after 
another. 

'  My  dear  wife,'  said  the  man  at  last,  '  you  really  must 
eat  something.  What  in  the  world  is  the  matter  with 
you  ?  If  you  go  on  like  this  you  will  die.' 

'  I  would  rather  die  than  not  know  what  is  in  that 
tureen,'  she  burst  forth  so  violently  that  the  husband 
was  quite  startled. 

'  Is  that  it  ? '  cried  he  ;  '  are  you  making  yourself 
miserable  because  of  that  ?  Why,  you  know  we  should 
be  turned  out  of  the  palace,  and  sent  away  to  starve.' 

'  Oh  no,  we  shouldn't.  The  king  is  too  good-natured. 
Of  course  he  didn't  mean  a  little  thing  like  this  !  Besides, 
there  is  no  need  to  lift  the  lid  off  altogether.  Just  raise 
one  corner  so  that  I  may  peep.  We  are  quite  alone  : 
nobody  will  ever  know.' 

The  man  hesitated  :  it  did  seem  a  '  little  thing,'  and 
if  it  was  to  make  his  wife  contented  and  happy  it  was 
well  worth  the  risk.  So  he  took  hold  of  the  handle 
of  the  cover  and  raised  it  very  slowly  and  carefully, 
while  the  woman  stooped  down  to  peep.  Suddenly  she 
started  back  with  a  scream,  for  a  small  mouse  had 
sprung  from  the  inside  of  the  tureen,  and  had  nearly  hit 
her  in  the  eye.  Round  and  round  the  room  it  ran, 
round  and  round  they  both  ran  after  it,  knocking  down 


66  A   LOST  PARADISE 

chairs  and  vases  in  their  efforts  to  catch  the  mouse  and 
put  it  back  in  the  tureen.  In  the  middle  of  all  the  noise 
the  door  opened,  and  the  mouse  ran  out  between  the 
feet  of  the  king.  In  one  instant  both  the  man  and  his 
wife  were  hiding  under  the  table,  and  to  all  appearance 
the  room  was  empty. 

'  You  may  as  well  come  out,'  said  the  king,  '  and  hear 
what  I  have  to  say.' 

'  I  know  what  it  is,'  answered  the  charcoal-burner, 
hanging  his  head.  '  The  mouse  has  escaped.' 

'  A  guard  of  soldiers  will  take  you  back  to  your  hut,' 
said  the  king.  '  Your  wife  has  the  key.' 

'  Weren't  they  silly  ?  '  cried  the  grandchildren  of  the 
charcoal-burners  when  they  heard  the  story.  '  How  we 
wish  that  we  had  had  the  chance  !  We  should  never 
have  wanted  to  know  what  was  in  the  soup-tureen  !  ' 

From  'Litterature  Orale  de  1'Auvergne,'  par  Paul  Sebillot. 


HOW  BRAVE   WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES 

A  LITTLE  back  from  the  high  road  there  stands  a  house 
which  is  called  '  Hemgard.'  Perhaps  you  remember  the 
two  beautiful  mountain  ash  trees  by  the  reddish-brown 
palings,  and  the  high  gate,  and  the  garden  with  the 
beautiful  barberry  bushes  which  are  always  the  first  to 
become  green  in  spring,  and  which  in  summer  are 
weighed  down  with  their  beautiful  berries. 

Behind  the  garden  there  is  a  hedge  with  tall  aspens 
which  rustle  in  the  morning  wind,  behind  the  hedge  is  a 
road,  behind  the  road  is  a  wood,  and  behind  the  wood 
the  wide  world. 

But  on  the  other  side  of  the  garden  there  is  a  lake, 
and  beyond  the  lake  is  a  village,  and  all  around  stretch 
meadows  and  fields,  now  yellow,  now  green. 

In  the  pretty  house,  which  has  white  window-frames, 
a  neat  porch  and  clean  steps,  which  are  always  strewn 
with  finely-cut  juniper  leaves,  Walter's  parents  live. 
His  brother  Frederick,  his  sister  Lotta,  old  Lena,  Jonah, 
Caro  and  Bravo,  Putte  and  Murre,  and  Kuckeliku. 

Caro  lives  in  the  dog  house,  Bravo  in  the  stable, 
Putte  with  the  stableman,  Murre  a  little  here  and  a  little 
there,  and  Kuckeliku  lives  in  the  hen  house,  that  is  his 
kingdom. 

Walter  is  six  years  old,  and  he  must  soon  begin  to  go 
to  school.  He  cannot  read  yet,  but  he  can  do  many 
other  things.  He  can  turn  cartwheels,  stand  on  his  head, 
ride  see-saw,  throw  snowballs,  play  ball,  crow  like  a  cock, 
eat  bread  and  butter  and  drink  sour  milk,  tear  his 

F2 


68    HOW  BRAVE   WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES 

trousers,  wear  holes  in  his  elbows,  break  the  crockery  in 
pieces,  throw  balls  through  the  windowpanes,  draw  old 
men  on  important  papers,  walk  over  the  flower-beds, 
eat  himself  sick  with  gooseberries,  and  be  well  after  a 
whipping.  For  the  rest  he  has  a  good  heart  but  a  bad 
memory,  and  forgets  his  father's  and  his  mother's  admo- 
nitions, and  so  often  gets  into  trouble  and  meets  with 
adventures,  as  you  shall  hear,  but  first  of  all  I  must 
tell  you  how  brave  he  was  and  how  he  hunted  wolves. 

Once  in  the  spring,  a  little  before  Midsummer,  Walter 
heard  that  there  were  a  great  many  wolves  in  the  wood, 
and  that  pleased  him.  He  was  wonderfully  brave  when 
he  was  in  the  midst  of  his  companions  or  at  home  with 
his  brothers  and  sister,  then  he  used  often  to  say  '  One 
wolf  is  nothing,  there  ought  to  be  at  least  four.' 

When  he  wrestled  with  Klas  Bogenstrom  or  Frithiof 
Waderfelt  and  struck  them  in  the  back,  he  would  say 
'  That  is  what  I  shall  do  to  a  wolf  !  '  and  when  he  shot 
arrows  at  Jonas  and  they  rattled  against  his  sheep- 
skin coat  he  would  say  :  '  That  is  how  I  should  shoot 
you  if  you  were  a  wolf  !  ' 

Indeed,  some  thought  that  the  brave  boy  boasted  a 
little  ;  but  one  must  indeed  believe  him  since  he  said  so 
himself.  So  Jonas  and  Lena  used  to  say  of  him  '  Look, 
there  goes  Walter,  who  shoots  the  wolves.'  And  other 
boys  and  girls  would  say  '  Look,  there  goes  brave 
Walter,  who  is  brave  enough  to  fight  with  four.' 

There  was  no  one  so  fully  convinced  of  this  as  \Valter 
himself,  and  one  day  he  prepared  himself  for  a  real  wolf 
hunt.  He  took  with  him  his  drum,  which  had  holes  in 
one  end  since  the  time  he  had  climbed  up  on  it  to 
reach  a  cluster  of  rowan  berries,  and  his  tin  sabre,  which 
was  a  little  broken,  because  he  had  with  incredible 
courage  fought  his  way  through  a  whole  unfriendly 
army  of  gooseberry  bushes. 

He  did  not  forget  to  arm  himself  quite  to  the  teeth 
with  his  pop-gun,  his  bow,  and  his  air-pistol.  He  had  a 


HOW  BRAVE   WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES    69 

burnt  cork  in  his  pocket  to  blacken  his  moustache,  and  a 
red  cock's  feather  to  put  in  his  cap  to  make  himself  look 
fierce.  He  had  besides  in  his  trouser  pocket  a  clasp 
knife  with  a  bone  handle,  to  cut  off  the  ears  of  the  wolves 
as  soon  as  he  had  killed  them,  for  he  thought  it  would  be 
cruel  to  do  that  while  they  were  still  living. 

It  \vas  such  a  good  thing  that  Jonas  was  going  with 
corn  to  the  mill,  for  Walter  got  a  seat  on  the  load,  while 
Caro  ran  barking  beside  them.  As  soon  as  they  came 
to  the  wood  Walter  looked  cautiously  around  him  to  see 
perchance  there  was  a  wolf  in  the  bushes,  and  he  did 
not  omit  to  ask  Jonas  if  wolves  were  afraid  of  a  drum. 
'  Of  course  they  are  '  (that  is  understood)  said  Jonas. 
Thereupon  Walter  began  to  beat  his  drum  with  all  his 
might  while  they  were  going  through  the  wood. 

When  they  came  to  the  mill  Walter  immediately 
asked  if  there  had  been  any  wolves  in  the  neighbourhood 
lately. 

'  Alas  !  yes,'  said  the  miller,  '  last  night  the  wolves 
have  eaten  our  fattest  ram  there  by  the  kiln  not  far 
from  here.' 

'  Ah  !  '  said  Walter,  '  do  you  think  that  there  were 
many  ?  ' 

'  We  don't  know,'  answered  the  miller. 

'  Oh,  it  is  all  the  same,'  said  Walter.  '  I  only  asked 
so  that  I  should  know  if  I  should  take  Jonas  with  me. 

'  I  could  manage  very  well  alone  with  three,  but  if 
there  were  more,  I  might  not  have  time  to  kill  them  all 
before  they  ran  away.' 

'  In  Walter's  place  I  should  go  quite  alone,  it  is  more 
manly,'  said  Jonas. 

'  No,  it  is  better  for  you  to  come  too,'  said  Walter. 
'  Perhaps  there  are  many.' 

'  No,  I  have  not  time,'  said  Jonas,  '  and  besides,  there 
are  sure  not  to  be  more  than  three.  Walter  can  manage 
them  very  well  alone.' 

'  Yes,'  said  Walter,  '  certainly  I  could  ;  but,  you  see, 


70    HOW  BRAVE   WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES 

Jonas,  it  might  happen  that  one  of  them  might  bite  me 
in  the  back,  and  I  should  have  more  trouble  in  killing 
them.  If  I  only  knew  that  there  were  not  more  than 
two  I  should  not  mind,  for  then  I  should  take  one  in  each 
hand  and  give  them  a  good  shaking,  like  Susanna  once 
shook  me.' 

'  I  certainly  think  that  there  will  not  be  more  than 
two,'  said  Jonas,  '  there  are  never  more  than  two  when 
they  slay  children  and  rams ;  Walter  can  very  well  shake 
them  without  me.' 

'  But,  you  see,  Jonas,'  said  Walter, '  if  there  are  two,  it 
might  still  happen  that  one  of  them  escapes  and  bites  me 
in  the  leg,  for  you  see  I  am  not  so  strong  in  the  left  hand 
as  in  the  right.  You  can  very  well  come  with  me,  and 
take  a  good  stick  in  case  there  are  really  two.  Look,  if 
there  is  only  one,  I  shall  take  him  so  with  both  my  hands 
and  throw  him  living  on  to  his  back,  and  he  can  kick  as 
much  as  he  likes,  I  shall  hold  him  fast.' 

'  Now,  when  I  really  think  over  the  thing,'  said  Jonas, 
'  I  am  almost  sure  there  will  not  be  more  than  one.  What 
would  two  do  with  one  ram  ?  There  will  certainly  not 
be  more  than  one.' 

'  But  you  should  come  with  me  all  the  same,  Jonas,' 
said  Walter.  '  You  see  I  can  very  well  manage  one,  but 
I  am  not  quite  accustomed  to  wolves  yet,  and  he  might 
tear  holes  in  my  new  trousers.' 

'  Well,  just  listen,'  said  Jonas,  '  I  am  beginning  to 
think  that  Walter  is  not  so  brave  as  people  say.  First 
of  all  Walter  would  fight  against  four,  and  then  against 
three,  then  two,  and  then  one,  and  now  Walter  wants 
help  with  one.  Such  a  thing  must  never  be  ;  what 
would  people  say  ?  Perhaps  they  would  think  that 
Walter  is  a  coward  ?  ' 

'  That's  a  lie,'  said  Walter, '  I  am  not  at  all  frightened, 
but  it  is  more  amusing  when  there  are  two.  I  only  want 
someone  who  will  see  how  I  strike  the  wolf  and  how  the 
dust  flies  out  of  his  skin.' 


HOW  BRAVE   WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES    71 

'  Well,  then,  Walter  can  take  the  miller's  little  Lisa 
with  him.  She  can  sit  on  a  stone  and  look  on,'  said 
Jonas. 

'  No,  she  would  certainly  be  frightened,'  said  Walter, 
*  and  how  would  it  do  for  a  girl  to  go  wolf-hunting  ? 
Come  with  me,  Jonas,  and  you  shall  have  the  skin,  and  I 
will  be  content  with  the  ears  and  the  tail.' 

'  No,  thank  you,'  said  Jonas,  '  Walter  can  keep  the 
skin  for  himself.  Now  I  see  quite  well  that  he  is 
frightened.  Fie,  shame  on  him  ! ' 

This  touched  Walter's  pride  very  near.  '  I  shall  show 
that  I  am  not  frightened,'  he  said  ;  and  so  he  took  his 
drum,  sabre,  cock's  feather,  clasp-knife,  pop-gun  and  air- 
pistol,  and  went  off  quite  alone  to  the  wood  to  hunt 
wolves. 

It  was  a  beautiful  evening,  and  the  birds  were  singing 
in  all  the  branches.  Walter  went  very  slowly  and 
cautiously.  At  every  step  he  looked  all  round  him  to  see 
if  perchance  there  was  anything  lurking  behind  the 
stones.  He  quite  thought  something  moved  away  there 
in  the  ditch.  Perhaps  it  was  a  wolf.  '  It  is  better  for  me 
to  beat  the  drum  a  little  before  I  go  there,'  thought 
Walter. 

Br-r-r,  so  he  began  to  beat  his  drum.  Then  something 
moved  again.  Caw  !  caw  !  a  crow  flew  up  from  the 
ditch.  Walter  immediately  regained  courage.  '  It  was 
well  I  took  my  drum  with  me,'  he  thought,  and  went 
straight  on  with  courageous  steps.  Very  soon  he  came 
quite  close  to  the  kiln,  where  the  wolves  had  killed  the 
ram.  But  the  nearer  he  came  the  more  dreadful  he 
thought  the  kiln  looked.  It  was  so  gray  and  old.  Who 
knew  how  many  wolves  there  might  be  hidden  there  ? 
Perhaps  the  very  ones  which  killed  the  ram  were  still 
sitting  there  in  a  corner.  Yes,  it  was  not  at  all  safe 
here,  and  there  were  no  other  people  to  be  seen  in  the 
neighbourhood.  It  would  be  horrible  to  be  eaten  up 
here  in  the  daylight,  thought  Walter  to  himself ;  and 


72    HOW  BRAVE   WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES 

the  more  he  thought  about  it  the  uglier  and  grayer  the 
old  kiln  looked,  and  the  more  horrible  and  dreadful  it 
seemed  to  become  the  food  of  wolves. 

'  Shall  I  go  back  and  say  that  I  struck  one  wolf  and 
it  escaped  ?  '  thought  Walter.  '  Fie  !  '  said  his  con- 
science, '  Do  you  not  remember  that  a  lie  is  one  of  the 
worst  sins,  both  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man  ?  If  you 
tell  a  lie  to-day  and  say  you  struck  a  wolf,  to-morrow 
surely  it  will  eat  you  up.' 

'  No,  I  will  go  to  the  kiln,'  thought  Walter,  and  so  he 
went.  But  he  did  not  go  quite  near.  He  went  only  so 
near  that  he  could  see  the  ram's  blood  which  coloured 
the  grass  red,  and  some  tufts  of  wool  which  the  wolves 
had  torn  from  the  back  of  the  poor  animal. 

It  looked  so  dreadful. 

'  I  wonder  what  the  ram  thought  when  they  ate  him 
up,'  thought  Walter  to  himself  ;  and  just  then  a  cold 
shiver  ran  through  him  from  his  collar  right  down  to  his 
boots. 

'  It  is  better  for  me  to  beat  the  drum,'  he  thought 
to  himself  again,  and  so  he  began  to  beat  it.  But  it 
sounded  horrid,  and  an  echo  came  out  from  the  kiln 
that  seemed  almost  like  the  howl  of  a  wolf.  The  drum- 
sticks stiffened  in  Walter's  hands,  and  he  thought  now 
they  are  coming.  .  .  . ! 

Yes,  sure  enough,  just  then  a  shaggy,  reddish-brown 
wolf's  head  looked  out  from  under  the  kiln  ! 

What  did  Walter  do  now  ?  Yes,  the  brave  Walter 
who  alone  could  manage  four,  threw  his  drum  far  away, 
took  to  his  heels  and  ran,  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could  back 
to  the  mill. 

But,  alas  !  the  wolf  ran  after  him.  Walter  looked 
back  ;  the  wolf  was  quicker  than  he  and  only  a  few  steps 
behind  him.  Then  Walter  ran  faster.  But  fear  got 
the  better  of  him,  he  neither  heard  nor  saw  anything 
more.  He  ran  over  sticks,  stones  and  ditches  ;.  he  lost 
drum-sticks,  sabre,  bow,  and  air-pistol,  and  in  his  terrible 


HOW   BRAVE    WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES    73 

hurry  he  tripped  over  a  tuft  of  grass.  There  he  lay,  and 
the  wolf  jumped  on  to  him.  .  .  . 

It  was  a  gruesome  tale  !  Now  you  may  well  believe 
that  it  was  all  over  with  Walter  and  all  his  adventures. 
That  would  have  been  a  pity.  But  do  not  be  surprised 
if  it  was  not  quite  so  bad  as  that,  for  the  wolf  was  quite 
a  friendly  one.  He  certainly  jumped  on  to  Walter,  but 
he  only  shook  his  coat  and  rubbed  his  nose  against  his 
face  ;  and  Walter  shrieked.  Yes,  he  shrieked  terribly  ! 

Happily  Jonas  heard  his  cry  of  distress,  for  Walter 
was  quite  near  the  mill  now,  and  he  ran  and  helped 
him  up. 

'  What  has  happened  ? '  he  asked.  '  Why  did  Walter 
scream  so  terribly  ?  ' 

'  A  wolf  !  A  wolf  ! '  cried  Walter,  and  that  was  all 
he  could  say. 

'  Where  is  the  wolf  ?  '  said  Jonas.  '  I  don't  see  any 
wolf.' 

'  Take  care,  he  is  here,  he  has  bitten  me  to  death,' 
groaned  Walter. 

Then  Jonas  began  to  laugh  ;  yes,  he  laughed  so  that 
he  nearly  burst  his  skin  belt. 

Well,  well,  was  that  the  wolf  ?  Was  that  the  wolf 
which  Walter  was  to  take  by  the  neck  and  shake  and 
throw  down  on  its  back,  no  matter  how  much  it 
struggled  ?  Just  look  a  little  closer  at  him  :  he  is  your 
old  friend,  your  own  good  old  Caro.  I  quite  expect  he 
found  a  leg  of  the  ram  in  the  kiln.  When  Walter  beat 
his  drum,  Caro  crept  out,  and  when  Walter  ran  away, 
Caro  ran  after  him,  as  he  so  often  does  when  Walter 
wants  to  romp  and  play. 

'  Down,  Caro !  you  ought  to  be  rather  ashamed  to 
have  put  such  a  great  hero  to  flight !  ' 

Walter  got  up  feeling  very  foolish. 

'  Down,  Caro  !  '  he  said,  both  relieved  and  annoyed. 

'  It  was  only  a  dog,  then  if  it  had  been  a  wolf  I 
certainly  should  have  killed  him.  .  .  .' 


74    HOW  BRAVE    WALTER  HUNTED   WOLVES 

'  If  Walter  would  listen  to  my  advice,  and  boast  a 
little  less,  and  do  a  little  more,'  said  Jonas,  consolingly. 
'  Walter  is  not  a  coward,  is  he  ?  ' 

'  I !  You  shall  see,  Jonas,  when  we  next  meet  a  bear. 
You  see  I  like  so  much  better  to  fight  with  bears.' 

'  Indeed  !  '  laughed  Jonas.     '  Are  you  at  it  again  ? 

'  Dear  Walter,  remember  that  it  is  only  cowards  who 
boast ;  a  really  brave  man  never  talks  of  his  bravery.' 

From  Z.  Topelius. 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS 


WHEN  the  young  king  of  Easaidh  Ruadh  came  into  his 
kingdom,  the  first  thing  he  thought  of  was  how  he  could 
amuse  himself  best.  The  sports  that  all  his  life  had 
pleased  him  best  suddenly  seemed  to  have  grown  dull, 
and  he  wanted  to  do  something  he  had  never  done 
before.  At  last  his  face  brightened. 

'  I  know !  '  he  said.  '  I  will  go  and  play  a  game  with 
the  Gruagach.'  Now  the  Gruagach  was  a  kind  of 
wicked  fairy,  with  long  curly  brown  hair,  and  his  house 
was  not  very  far  from  the  king's  house. 

But  though  the  king  was  young  and  eager,  he  was 
also  prudent,  and  his  father  had  told  him  on  his  death- 
bed to  be  very  careful  in  his  dealings  with  the  '  good 
people,'  as  the  fairies  were  called.  Therefore  before 
going  to  the  Gruagach  the  king  sought  out  a  wise  man 
of  the  countryside. 

'  I  am  wanting  to  play  a  game  with  the  curly -haired 
Gruagach,'  said  he. 

'  Are  you,  indeed  ? '  replied  the  wizard.  '  If  you  will 
take  my  counsel,  you  will  play  with  someone  else.' 

'  No  ;  I  will  play  with  the  Gruagach,'  persisted  the 
king. 

'  Well,  if  you  must,  you  must,  I  suppose,'  answered 
the  wizard ;  '  but  if  you  win  that  game,  ask  as  a  prize  the 
ugly  crop-headed  girl  that  stands  behind  the  door.' 

'  I  will,'  said  the  king. 

So  before  the  sun  rose  he  got  up  and  went  to  the 
house  of  the  Gruagach,  who  was  sitting  outside. 


76        THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS 

'  O  king,  what  has  brought  you  here  to-day  ? '  asked 
the  Gruagach.  '  But  right  welcome  you  are,  and  more 
welcome  will  you  be  still  if  you  will  play  a  game  with  me.' 

'  That  is  just  what  I  want,'  said  the  king,  and  they 
played  ;  and  sometimes  it  seemed  as  if  one  would  win, 
and  sometimes  the  other,  but  in  the  end  it  was  the  king 
who  was  the  winner. 

'  And  what  is  the  prize  that  you  will  choose  ?  '  in- 
quired the  Gruagach. 

'  The  ugly  crop-headed  girl  that  stands  behind  the 
door,'  replied  the  king. 

'  Why,  there  are  twenty  others  in  the  house,  and  each 
fairer  than  she  !  '  exclaimed  the  Gruagach. 

'  Fairer  they  may  be,  but  it  is  she  whom  I  wish  for 
my  wife,  and  none  other,'  and  the  Gruagach  saw  that 
the  king's  mind  was  set  upon  her,  so  he  entered  his 
house,  and  bade  all  the  maidens  in  it  come  out  one  by 
one,  and  pass  before  the  king. 

One  by  one  they  came  ;  tall  and  short,  dark  and 
fair,  plump  and  thin,  and  each  said  '  I  am  she  whom 
you  want.  You  will  be  foolish  indeed  if  you  do  not 
take  me.' 

But  he  took  none  of  them,  neither  short  nor  tall, 
dark  nor  fair,  plump  nor  thin,  till  at  the  last  the  crop- 
headed  girl  came  out. 

'  This  is  mine,'  said  the  king,  though  she  was  so  ugly 
that  most  men  would  have  turned  from  her.  '  We  will 
be  married  at  once,  and  I  will  carry  you  home.'  And 
married  they  w6re,  and  they  set  forth  across  a  meadow 
to  the  king's  house.  As  they  went,  the  bride  stooped 
and  picked  a  sprig  of  shamrock,  which  grew  amongst 
the  grass,  and  when  she  stood  upright  again  her  ugliness 
had  all  gone,  and  the  most  beautiful  woman  that  ever 
was  seen  stood  by  the  king's  side. 

The  next  day,  before  the  sun  rose,  the  king  sprang 
from  his  bed,  and  told  his  wife  he  must  have  another 
game  with  the  Gruagach. 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS       77 

'  If  my  father  loses  that  game,  and  you  win  it,'  said 
she,  '  accept  nothing  for  your  prize  but  the  shaggy 
young  horse  with  the  stick  saddle.' 

'  I  will  do  that,'  answered  the  king,  and  he  went. 

'  Does  your  bride  please  you  ?  '  asked  the  Gruagach, 
who  was  standing  at  his  own  door. 

'  Ah  !  does  she  not ! '  answered  the  king  quickly. 
'  Otherwise  I  should  be  hard  indeed  to  please.  But 
will  you  play  a  game  to-day  ?  ' 

'  I  will,'  replied  the  Gruagach,  and  they  played,  and 
sometimes  it  seemed  as  if  one  would  win,  and  sometimes 
the  other,  but  in  the  end  the  king  was  the  winner. 

'  What  is  the  prize  that  you  will  choose  ?  '  asked  the 
Gruagach. 

'  The  shaggy  young  horse  with  the  stick  saddle,' 
answered  the  king,  but  he  noticed  that  the  Gruagach 
held  his  peace,  and  his  brow  was  dark  as  he  led  out 
the  horse  from  the  stable.  Rough  was  its  mane  and 
dull  was  its  skin,  but  the  king  cared  nothing  for  that, 
and  throwing  his  leg  over  the  stick  saddle,  rode  away  like 
the  wind. 

On  the  third  morning  the  king  got  up  as  usual  before 
dawn,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  eaten  food  he  prepared 
to  go  out,  when  his  wife  stopped  him.  '  I  would  rather,' 
she  said,  '  that  you  did  not  go  to  play  with  the  Gruagach, 
for  though  twice  you  have  won  yet  some  day  he  will  win, 
and  then  he  will  put  trouble  upon  you.' 

'  Oh  !  I  must  have  one  more  game,'  cried  the  king  ; 
'  just  this  one.'  And  he  went  off  to  the  house  of  the 
Gruagach. 

Joy  filled  the  heart  of  the  Gruagach  when  he  saw 
him  coming,  and  without  waiting  to  talk  they  played 
their  game.  Somehow  or  other,  the  king's  strength  and 
skill  had  departed  from  him,  and  soon  the  Gruagach  was 
the  victor. 


78        THE  KING  OF   THE   WATERFALLS 

1  Choose  your  prize,'  said  the  king,  when  the  game 
was  ended,  '  but  do  not  be  too  hard  on  me,  or  ask  what 
I  cannot  give.' 

*  The  prize  I  choose,'  answered  the  Gruagach,  '  is 
that  the  crop-headed  creature  should  take  thy  head 
and  thy  neck,  if  thou  dost  not  get  for  me  the  Sword  of 
Light  that  hangs  in  the  house  of  the  king  of  the  oak 
windows.' 

'  I  will  get  it,'  replied  the  young  man  bravely ;  but 
as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  of  the  Gruagach  he  pre- 
tended no  more,  and  his  face  grew  dark  and  his  steps 
lagging. 

'  You  have  brought  nothing  with  you  to-night,'  said 
the  queen,  who  was  standing  on  the  steps  awaiting  him. 
She  was  so  beautiful  that  the  king  was  fain  to  smile 
when  he  looked  at  her,  but  then  he  remembered  what 
had  happened,  and  his  heart  grew  heavy  again. 

'  What  is  it  ?  What  is  the  matter  ?  Tell  me  thy 
sorrow  that  I  may  bear  it  with  thee,  or,  it  may  be,  help 
thee  !  '  Then  the  king  told  her  everything  that  had 
befallen  him,  and  she  stroked  his  hair  the  while. 

'  That  is  nothing  to  grieve  about,'  she  said  when  the 
tale  was  finished.  '  You  have  the  best  wife  in  Erin,  and 
the  best  horse  in  Erin.  Only  do  as  I  bid  you,  and  all 
will  go  well.'  And  the  king  suffered  himself  to  be 
comforted. 

He  was  still  sleeping  when  the  queen  rose  and 
dressed  herself,  to  make  everything  ready  for  her  hus- 
band's journey  ;  and  the  first  place  she  went  to  was  the 
stable,  where  she  fed  and  watered  the  shaggy  brown 
horse  and  put  the  saddle  on  it.  Most  people  thought 
this  saddle  was  of  wood,  and  did  not  see  the  little 
sparkles  of  gold  and  silver  that  were  hidden  in  it.  She 
strapped  it  lightly  on  the  horse's  back,  and  then  led  it 
down  before  the  house,  where  the  king  waited. 

'  Good  luck  to  you,  and  victories  in  all  your  battles,' 
she  said,  as  she  kissed  him  before  he  mounted.  '  I  need 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS       79 

not  be  telling  you  anything.     Take  the  advice  of  the 
horse,  and  see  you  obey  it.' 


So  he  waved  his  hand  and  set  out  on  his  journey,  and 
the  wind  was  not  swifter  than  the  brown  horse — no,  not 
even  the  March  wind  which  raced  it  and  could  not 
catch  it.  But  the  horse  never  stopped  nor  looked 


80        THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS 

behind,  till  in  the  dark  of  the  night  he  reached  the 
castle  of  the  king  of  the  oak  windows. 

'  We  are  at  the  end  of  the  journey,'  said  the  horse, 
'  and  you  will  find  the  Sword  of  Light  in  the  king's 
own  chamber.  If  it  comes  to  you  without  scrape  or 
sound,  the  token  is  a  good  one.  At  this  hour  the  king 
is  eating  his  supper,  and  the  room  is  empty,  so  none  will 
see  you.  The  sword  has  a  knob  at  the  end,  and  take 
heed  that  when  you  grasp  it,  you  draw  it  softly  out  of 
its  sheath.  Now  go  !  I  will  be  under  the  window.' 

Stealthily  the  young  man  crept  along  the  passage, 
pausing  now  and  then  to  make  sure  that  no  man  was 
following  him,  and  entered  the  king's  chamber.  A 
strange  white  line  of  light  told  him  where  the  sword  was, 
and  crossing  the  room  on  tiptoe,  he  seized  the  knob,  and 
drew  it  slowly  out  of  the  sheath.  The  king  could  hardly 
breathe  with  excitement  lest  it  should  make  some  noise, 
and  bring  all  the  people  in  the  castle  running  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  But  the  sword  slid  swiftly  and  silently 
along  the  case  till  only  the  point  was  left  touching  it. 
Then  a  low  sound  was  heard,  as  of  the  edge  of  a  knife 
touching  a  silver  plate,  and  the  king  was  so  startled 
that  he  nearly  dropped  the  knob. 

'  Quick !  quick  !  '  cried  the  horse,  and  the  king 
scrambled  hastily  through  the  small  window,  and  leapt 
into  the  saddle. 

'  He  has  heard  and  he  will  follow,'  said  the  horse  ; 
'  but  we  have  a  good  start.'  And  on  they  sped,  on  and 
on,  leaving  the  winds  behind  them. 

At  length  the  horse  slackened  its  pace.  '  Look  and 
see  who  is  behind  you,'  it  said ;  and  the  young  man 
looked. 

'  I  see  a  swarm  of  brown  horses  racing  madly  after  us,' 
he  answered. 

'  We  are  swifter  than  those,'  said  the  horse,  and  flew 
on  again. 

'  Look  again,  0  king  !     Is  anyone  coming  now  ?  ' 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS        81 

'  A  swarm  of  black  horses,  and  one  has  a  white  face, 
and  on  that  horse  a  man  is  seated.  He  is  the  king  of  the 
oak  windows.' 

'  That  is  my  brother,  and  swifter  still  than  I,'  said 
the  horse,  '  and  he  will  fly  past  me  with  a  rush.  Then 
you  must  have  your  sword  ready,  and  take  off  the  head 
of  the  man  who  sits  on  him,  as  he  turns  and  looks  at 
you.  And  there  is  no  sword  in  the  world  that  will 
cut  off  his  head,  save  only  that  one.' 

'  I  will  do  it,'  replied  the  king ;  and  he  listened  with 
all  his  might,  till  he  judged  that  the  white-faced  horse 
was  close  to  him.  Then  he  sat  up  very  straight  and 
made  ready. 

The  next  moment  there  was  a  rushing  noise  as  of  a 
mighty  tempest,  and  the  young  man  caught  a  glimpse  of 
a  face  turned  towards  him.  Almost  blindly  he  struck, 
not  knowing  whether  he  had  killed  or  only  wounded  the 
rider.  But  the  head  rolled  off,  and  was  caught  in  the 
brown  horse's  mouth. 

'  Jump  on  my  brother,  the  black  horse,  and  go  home 
as  fast  as  you  can,  and  I  will  follow  as  quickly  as  I  may,' 
cried  the  brown  horse ;  and  leaping  forward  the  king 
alighted  on  the  back  of  the  black  horse,  but  so  near  the 
tail  that  he  almost  fell  off  again.  But  he  stretched  out 
his  arm  and  clutched  wildly  at  the  mane  and  pulled 
himself  into  the  saddle. 

Before  the  sky  was  streaked  with  red  he  was  at  home 
again,  and  the  queen  was  sitting  waiting  till  he  arrived, 
for  sleep  was  far  from  her  eyes.  Glad  was  she  to  see 
him  enter,  but  she  said  little,  only  took  her  harp  and 
sang  softly  the  songs  which  he  loved,  till  he  went  to 
bed,  soothed  and  happy. 

It  was  broad  day  when  he  woke,  and  he  sprang  up 
saying: 

'  Now  I  must  go  to  the  Gruagach,  to  find  out  if  the 
spells  he  laid  on  me  are  loose.' 

L.  G 


82        THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS 

'  Have  a  care,'  answered  the  queen,  '  for  it  is  not  with 
a  smile  as  on  the  other  days  that  he  will  greet  you. 
Furiously  he  will  meet  you,  and  will  ask  you  in  his 
wrath  if  you  have  got  the  sword,  and  you  will  reply 
that  you  have  got  it.  Next  he  will  want  to  know  how 
you  got  it,  and  to  this  you  must  say  that  but  for  the 
knob  you  had  not  got  it  at  all.  Then  he  will  raise  his 
head  to  look  at  the  knob,  and  you  must  stab  him  in  the 
mole  which  is  on  the  right  side  of  his  neck  ;  but  take 
heed,  for  if  you  miss  the  mole  with  the  point  of  the 
sword,  then  my  death  and  your  death  are  certain.  He  is 
brother  to  the  king  of  the  oak  windows,  and  sure  will 
he  be  that  the  king  must  be  dead,  or  the  sword  would 
not  be  in  your  hands.'  After  that  she  kissed  him,  and 
bade  him  good  speed. 

'  Didst  thou  get  the  sword  ?  '  asked  the  Gruagach, 
when  they  met  in  the  usual  place. 

'  I  got  the  sword.' 

'  And  how  didst  thou  get  it  ?  ' 

'  If  it  had  not  had  a  knob  on  the  top,  then  I  had  not 
got  it,'  answered  the  king. 

'  Give  me  the  sword  to  look  at,'  said  the  Gruagach, 
peering  forward ;  but  like  a  flash  the  king  had  drawn 
it  from  under  his  nose  and  pierced  the  mole,  so  that  the 
Gruagach  rolled  over  on  the  ground. 

'  Now  I  shall  be  at  peace,'  thought  the  king.  But 
he  was  wrong,  for  when  he  reached  home  he  found  his 
servants  tied  together  back  to  back,  with  cloths  bound 
round  their  mouths,  so  that  they  could  not  speak.  He 
hastened  to  set  them  free,  and  he  asked  who  had  treated 
them  in  so  evil  a  manner. 

'  No  sooner  had  you  gone  than  a  great  giant  came, 
and  dealt  with  us  as  you  see,  and  carried  off  your  wife 
and  your  two  horses,'  said  the  men. 

'  Then  my  eyes  will  not  close  nor  will  my  head  lay 
itself  down  till  I  fetch  my  wife  and  horses  home  again,' 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATEPFALLS        83 

answered  he,  and  he  stooped  and  noted  the  tracks 'of 
the  horses  on  the  grass,  and  followed  after  them  till  he 
arrived  at  the  wood,  when  the  darkness  fell. 

'  I  will  sleep  here,'  he  said  to  himself,  '  but  first  I 
will  make  a  fire.'  And  he  gathered  together  some  twigs 
that  were  lying  about,  and  then  took  two  dry  sticks 
and  rubbed  them  together  till  the  fire  came,  and  he 
sat  by  it. 

The  twigs  crackled  and  the  flame  blazed  up,  and  a 
slim  yellow  dog  pushed  through  the  bushes  and  laid  his 
head  on  the  king's  knee,  and  the  king  stroked  his  head. 

'  Wuf,  wuf,'  said  the  dog.  '  Sore  was  the  plight  of 
thy  wife  and  thy  horses  when  the  giant  drove  them  last 
night  through  the  forest.' 

'  That  is  why  I  have  come,'  answered  the  king ;  and 
suddenly  his  heart  seemed  to  fail  him  and  he  felt  that 
he  could  not  go  on. 

'  I  cannot  fight  that  giant,'  he  cried,  looking  at  the 
dog  with  a  white  face.  '  I  am  afraid,  let  me  turn  home- 
wards.' 

'  No,  don't  do  that,'  replied  the  dog.  '  Eat  and  sleep, 
and  I  will  watch  over  you.'  So  the  king  ate  and  lay 
down,  and  slept  till  the  sun  waked  him. 

'  It  is  time  for  you  to  start  on  your  way,'  said  the 
dog,  '  and  if  danger  presses,  call  on  me,  and  I  will  help 
you.' 

'  Farewell,  then,'  answered  the  king ;  '  I  will  not  forget 
that  promise,'  and  on  he  went,  and  on,  and  on,  till  he 
reached  a  tall  cliff  with  many  sticks  lying  about. 

'  It  is  almost  night,'  he  thought ;  '  I  will  make  a  fire 
and  rest,'  and  thus  he  did,  and  when  the  flames  blazed 
up,  the  hoary  hawk  of  the  grey  rock  flew  on  to  a  bough 
above  him. 

'  Sore  was  the  plight  of  thy  wife  and  thy  horses  when 
they  passed  here  with  the  giant,'  said  the  hawk. 

'  Never  shall  I  find  them,'  answered  the  king,  '  and 
nothing  shall  I  get  for  all  my  trouble.' 

o2 


'  Oh,  take  heart,'  replied  the  hawk ;  '  things  are  never 
so  bad  but  what  they  might  be  worse.  Eat  and  sleep  and 
I  will  watch  thee,'  and  the  king  did  as  he  was  bidden  by 
the  hawk,  and  by  the  morning  he  felt  brave  again. 

'  Farewell,'  said  the  bird,  '  and  if  danger  presses  call 
to  me,  and  I  will  help  you.' 

On  he  walked,  and  on  and  on,  till  as  the  dusk  was 
falling  he  came  to  a  great  river,  and  on  the  bank  there 
were  sticks  lying  about. 

'  I  will  make  myself  a  fire,'  he  thought,  and  thus  he 
did,  and  by  and  bye  a  smooth  brown  head  peered  at  him 
from  the  water,  and  a  long  body  followed  it. 

'  Sore  was  the  plight  of  thy  wife  and  thy  horses  when 
they  passed  the  river  last  night,'  said  the  otter. 

'  I  have  sought  them  and  not  found  them,'  answered 
the  king,  '  and  nought  shall  I  get  for  my  trouble.' 

'  Be  not  so  downcast,'  replied  the  otter ;  '  before  noon 
to-morrow  thou  shalt  behold  thy  wife.  But  eat  and  sleep 
and  I  will  watch  over  thee.'  So  the  king  did  as  the  otter 
bid  him,  and  when  the  sun  rose  he  woke  and  saw  the 
otter  lying  on  the  bank. 

'  Farewell,'  cried  the  otter  as  he  jumped  into  the  water, 
'  and  if  danger  presses,  call  to  me  and  I  will  help  you.' 

For  many  hours  the  king  walked,  and  at  length  he 
reached  a  high  rock,  which  was  rent  in  two  by  a  great 
earthquake.  Throwing  himself  on  the  ground  he  looked 
over  the  side,  and  right  at  the  very  bottom  he  saw  his 
wife  and  his  horses.  His  heart  gave  a  great  bound, 
and  all  his  fears  left  him,  but  he  was  forced  to  be  patient, 
for  the  sides  of  the  rock  were  smooth,  and  not  even  a 
goat  could  find  foothold.  So  he  got  up  again,  and  made 
his  way  round  through  the  wood,  pushing  by  trees, 
scrambling  over  rocks,  wading  through  streams,  till  at 
last  he  was  on  flat  ground  again,  close  to  the  mouth  of 
the  cavern. 

His  wife  gave  a  shriek  of  joy  when  he  came  in, 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS        85 

and  then  burst  into  tears,  for  she  was  tired  and  very 
frightened.  But  her  husband  did  not  understand 
why  she  wept,  and  he  was  tired  and  bruised  from  his 
climb,  and  a  little  cross  too. 

'  You  give  me  but  a  sorry  welcome,'  grumbled  he, 
'  when  I  have  half-killed  myself  to  get  to  you.' 

'  Do  not  heed  him,'  said  the  horses  to  the  weeping 
woman ; '  put  him  in  front  of  us,  where  he  will  be  safe,  and 
give  him  food,  for  he  is  weary.'  And  she  did  as  the  horses 
told  her,  and  he  ate  and  rested,  till  by  and  bye  a  long 
shadow  fell  over  them,  and  their  hearts  beat  with  fear, 
for  they  knew  that  the  giant  was  coming. 

'  I  smell  a  stranger,'  cried  the  giant,  as  he  entered ; 
but  it  was  dark  inside  the  chasm,  and  he  did  not  see  the 
king,  who  was  crouching  down  between  the  feet  of  the 
horses. 

'  A  stranger,  my  lord  !  no  stranger  ever  comes  here, 
not  even  the  sun  !  '  and  the  king's  wife  laughed  gaily 
as  she  went  up  to  the  giant  and  stroked  the  huge  hand 
which  hung  down  by  his  side. 

'  Well,  I  perceive  nothing,  certainly,'  answered  he, 
'  but  it  is  very  odd.  However,  it  is  time  that  the  horses 
were  fed ; '  and  he  lifted  down  an  armful  of  hay  from 
a  shelf  of  rock  and  held  out  a  handful  to  each  animal, 
who  moved  forward  to  meet  him,  leaving  the  king  behind. 
As  soon  as  the  giant's  hands  were  near  their  mouths 
they  each  made  a  snap,  and  began  to  bite  them,  so  that 
his  groans  and  shrieks  might  have  been  heard  a  mile  off. 
Then  they  wheeled  round  and  kicked  him  till  they  could 
kick  no  more.  At  length  the  giant  crawled  away,  and 
lay  quivering  in  a  corner,  and  the  queen  went  up  to 
him. 

'  Poor  thing  !  poor  thing  ! '  she  said,  '  they  seem  to 
have  gone  mad  ;  it  was  awful  to  behold.' 

'  If  I  had  had  my  soul  in  my  body  they  would  cer- 
tainly have  killed  me,'  groaned  the  giant. 


86        THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS 

'  It  was  lucky  indeed,'  answered  the  queen  ;  '  but  tell 
me,  where  is  thy  soul,  that  I  may  take  care  of  it  ?  ' 

'  Up  there,  in  the  Bonnach  stone,'  answered  the 
giant,  pointing  to  a  stone  wliich  was  balanced  loosely 
on  an  edge  of  rock.  '  But  now  leave  me,  that  I  may 
sleep,  for  I  have  far  to  go  to-morrow.' 

Soon  snores  were  heard  from  the  corner  where  the 
giant  lay,  and  then  the  queen  lay  down  too,  and  the 
horses,  and  the  king  was  hidden  between  them,  so  that 
none  could  see  him. 

Before  the  dawn  the  giant  rose  and  went  out,  and 
immediately  the  queen  ran  up  to  the  Bonnach  stone, 
and  tugged  and  pushed  at  it  till  it  was  quite  steady 
on  its  ledge,  and  could  not  fall  over.  And  so  it  was  in 
the  evening  wrhen  the  giant  came  home  ;  and  when  they 
saw  his  shadow,  the  king  crept  down  in  front  of  the 
horses. 

'  Why,  what  have  you  done  to  the  Bonnach  stone  ?  ' 
asked  the  giant. 

'  I  feared  lest  it  should  fall  over,  and  be  broken, 
with  your  soul  in  it,'  said  the  queen,  '  so  I  put  it  further 
back  on  the  ledge.' 

'  It  is  not  there  that  my  soul  is,'  answered  he,  'it  is  on 
the  threshold.  But  it  is  time  the  horses  were  fed ; '  and  he 
fetched  the  hay,  and  gave  it  to  them,  and  they  bit  and 
kicked  him  as  before,  till  he  lay  half  dead  on  the  ground. 

Next  morning  he  rose  and  went  out,  and  the  queen 
ran  to  the  threshold  of  the  cave,  and  washed  the  stones, 
and  pulled  up  some  moss  and  little  flowers  that  were 
hidden  in  the  crannies,  and  by  and  bye  when  dusk  had 
fallen  the  giant  came  home. 

'  You  have  been  cleaning  the  threshold,'  said  he. 

'  And  was  I  not  right  to  do  it,  seeing  that  your  soul 
is  in  it  ?  '  asked  the  queen. 

'  It  is  not  there  that  my  soul  is,'  answered  the  giant. 
'  Under  the  threshold  is  a  stone,  and  under  the  stone  is 
a  sheep,  and  in  the  sheep's  body  is  a  duck,  and  in  the 


THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS        89 

duck  is  an  egg,  and  in  the  egg  is  my  soul.  But  it  is 
late,  and  I  must  feed  the  horses ; '  and  he  brought  them 
the  hay,  but  they  only  bit  and  kicked  him  as  before, 
and  if  his  soul  had  been  within  him,  they  would  have 
killed  him  outright. 

It  was  still  dark  when  the  giant  got  up  and  went 
his  way,  and  then  the  king  and  the  queen  ran  forward 
to  take  up  the  threshold,  while  the  horses  looked  on. 
But  sure  enough  !  just  as  the  giant  had  said,  underneath 
the  threshold  was  the  flagstone,  and  they  pulled  and 
tugged  till  the  stone  gave  way.  Then  something 
jumped  out  so  suddenly,  that  it  nearly  knocked  them 
down,  and  as  it  fled  past,  they  saw  it  was  a  sheep. 

*  If  the  slim  yellow  dog  of  the  greenwood  were  only 
here,  he  would  soon  have  that  sheep,'  cried  the  king ; 
and  as  he  spoke,  the  slim  yellow  dog  appeared  from  the 
forest,  with  the  sheep  in  his  mouth.  With  a  blow  from 
the  king,  the  sheep  fell  dead,  and  they  opened  its  body, 
only  to  be  blinded  by  a  rush  of  wings  as  the  duck  flew 
past. 

'  If  the  hoary  hawk  of  the  rock  were  only  here,  he 
would  soon  have  that  duck,'  cried  the  king ;  and  as  he 
spoke  the  hoary  hawk  was  seen  hovering  above  them, 
with  the  duck  in  his  mouth.  They  cut  off  the  duck's 
head  with  a  swing  of  the  king's  sword,  and  took  the 
egg  out  of  its  body,  but  in  his  triumph  the  king  held 
it  carelessly,  and  it  slipped  from  his  hand,  and  rolled 
swiftly  down  the  hill  right  into  the  river. 

'  If  the  brown  otter  of  the  stream  were  only  here,  he 
would  soon  have  that  egg,'  cried  the  king ;  and  the  next 
minute  there  was  the  brown  otter,  dripping  with  water, 
holding  the  egg  in  his  mouth.  But  beside  the  brown 
otter,  a  huge  shadow  came  stealing  along — the  shadow 
of  the  giant. 

The  king  stood  staring  at  it,  as  if  he  were  turned  into 
stone,  but  the  queen  snatched  the  egg  from  the  otter  and 


90        THE  KING  OF  THE   WATERFALLS 

crushed  it  between  her  two  hands.  And  after  that  the 
shadow  suddenly  shrank  and  was  still,  and  they  knew 
that  the  giant  was  dead,  because  they  had  found  his 
soul. 

Next  day  they  mounted  the  two  horses  and  rode 
home  again,  visiting  their  friends  the  brown  otter  and 
the  hoary  hawk  and  the  slim  yellow  dog  by  the  way. 

From  'West  Highland  Tales.* 


A  FRENCH  PUCK 


AMONG  the  mountain  pastures  and  valleys  that  lie  in 
the  centre  of  France  there  dwelt  a  mischievous  kind  of 
spirit,  whose  delight  it  was  to  play  tricks  on  everybody, 
and  particularly  on  the  shepherds  and  the  cowboys. 
They  never  knew  when  they  were  safe  from  him,  as  he 
could  change  himself  into  a  man,  woman  or  child,  a 
stick,  a  goat,  a  ploughshare.  Indeed,  there  was  only 
one  thing  whose  shape  he  could  not  take,  and  that  was 
a  needle.  At  least,  he  could  transform  himself  into  a 
needle,  but  try  as  he  might  he  never  was  able  to  imitate 
the  hole,  so  every  woman  would  have  found  him  out  at 
once,  and  this  he  knew. 

Now  the  hour  oftenest  chosen  by  this  naughty  sprite 
(whom  we  will  call  Puck)  for  performing  his  pranks  was 
about  midnight,  just  when  the  shepherds  and  cowherds, 
tired  out  with  their  long  day's  work,  were  sound  asleep. 
Then  he  would  go  into  the  cowsheds  and  unfasten  the 
chains  that  fixed  each  beast  in  its  own  stall,  and  let  them 
fall  with  a  heavy  clang  to  the  ground.  The  noise  was  so 
loud  that  it  was  certain  to  awaken  the  cowboys,  however 
fatigued  they  might  be,  and  they  dragged  themselves 
wearily  to  the  stable  to  put  back  the  chains.  But  no 
sooner  had  they  returned  to  their  beds  than  the  same 
thing  happened  again,  and  so  on  till  the  morning.  Or 
perhaps  Puck  would  spend  his  night  in  plaiting  together 
the  manes  and  tails  of  two  of  the  horses,  so  that  it 
would  take  the  grooms  hours  of  labour  to  get  them  right 
in  the  morning,  while  Puck,  hidden  among  the  hay  in  the 


92  A  FRENCH  PUCK 

loft,  would  peep  out  to  watch  them,  enjoying  himself 
amazingly  all  the  time. 

One  evening  more  than  eighty  years  ago  a  man 
named  William  was  passing  along  the  bank  of  a  stream 
when  he  noticed  a  sheep  who  was  bleating  loudly. 
William  thought  it  must  have  strayed  from  the  flock, 
and  that  he  had  better  take  it  home  with  him  till  he 
could  discover  its  owner.  So  he  went  up  to  where  it 
was  standing,  and  as  it  seemed  so  tired  that  it  could 
hardly  walk,  he  hoisted  it  on  his  shoulders  and  continued 
on  his  way.  The  sheep  was  pretty  heavy,  but  the  good 
man  was  merciful  and  staggered  along  as  best  he  could 
under  his  load. 

'  It  is  not  much  further,'  he  thought  to  himself  as  he 
reached  an  avenue  of  walnut  trees,  when  suddenly  a 
voice  spoke  out  from  over  his  head,  and  made  him  jump. 

'  Where  are  you  ?  '  said  the  voice,  and  the  sheep 
answered  : 

'  Here  on  the  shoulders  of  a  donkey.' 

In  another  moment  the  sheep  was  standing  on  the 
ground  and  William  was  running  towards  home  as  fast 
as  his  legs  would  carry  him.  But  as  he  went,  a  laugh, 
which  yet  was  something  of  a  bleat,  rang  in  his  ears, 
and  though  he  tried  not  to  hear,  the  words  reached  Mm, 
'  Oh,  dear  !  What  fun  I  have  had,  to  be  sure !  ' 

Puck  was  careful  not  always  to  play  his  tricks  in  the 
same  place,  but  visited  one  village  after  another,  so  that 
everyone  trembled  lest  he  should  be  the  next  victim. 
After  a  bit  he  grew  tired  of  cowboys  and  shepherds,  and 
wondered  if  there  was  no  one  else  to  give  him  some 
sport.  At  length  he  was  told  of  a  young  couple  who 
were  going  to  the  nearest  town  to  buy 'all  that  they 
needed  for  setting  up  house.  Quite  certain  that  they 
would  forget  something  which  they  could  not  do  without, 
Puck  waited  patiently  till  they  were  jogging  along  in 


A  FRENCH  PUCK  93 

their  cart  on  their  return  journey,  and  changed  himself 
into  a  fly  in  order  to  overhear  their  conversation. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  very  dull — all  about  their 
wedding  day  next  month,  and  who  were  to  be  invited. 
This  led  the  bride  to  her  wedding  dress,  and  she  gave  a 
little  scream. 

'  Just  think  !  Oh  !  how  could  I  be  so  stupid  !  I 
have  forgotten  to  buy  the  different  coloured  reels  of 
cotton  to  match  my  clothes  !  ' 

'  Dear,  dear  !  '  exclaimed  the  young  man.  '  That  is 
unlucky  ;  and  didn't  you  tell  me  that  the  dressmaker  < 
was  coming  in  to-morrow  ?  " 

'  Yes,  I  did,'  and  then  suddenly  she  gave  another 
little  scream,  which  had  quite  a  different  sound  from  the 
first.  '  Look  !  Look  !  ' 

The  bridegroom  looked,  and  on  one  side  of  the  road 
he  saw  a  large  ball  of  thread  of  all  colours — of  all  the 
colours,  that  is,  of  the  dresses  that  were  tied  on  to  the 
back  of  the  cart. 

'  Well,  that  is  a  wonderful  piece  of  good  fortune,' 
cried  he,  as  he  sprang  out  to  get  it.  '  One  would  think  a 
fairy  had  put  it  there  on  purpose.' 

'  Perhaps  she  has,'  laughed  the  girl,  and  as  she  spoke 
she  seemed  to  hear  an  echo  of  her  laughter  coming  from 
the  horse,  but  of  course  that  was  nonsense. 

The  dressmaker  was  delighted  with  the  thread  that 
was  given  her.  It  matched  the  stuffs  so  perfectly,  and 
never  tied  itself  in  knots,  or  broke  perpetually,  as  most 
thread  did.  She  finished  her  work  much  quicker  than 
she  expected,  and  the  bride  said  she  was  to  be  sure  to 
come  to  the  church  and  see  her  in  her  wedding  dress. 

There  was  a  great  crowd  assembled  to  witness  the 
ceremony,  for  the  young  people  were  immense  favourites 
in  the  neighbourhood,  and  their  parents  were  very  rich. 
The  doors  were  open,  and  the  bride  could  be  seen  from 
afar,  walking  under  the  chestnut  avenue. 


94  A  F BENCH  PUCK 

'  What  a  beautiful  girl ! '  exclaimed  the  men.  '  What 
a  lovely  dress  !  '  whispered  the  women.  But  just  as  she 
entered  the  church  and  took  the  hand  of  the  bridegroom, 
who  was  waiting  for  her,  a  loud  noise  was  heard. 

'  Crick  !  crack  !  Crick  !  crack  !  '  and  the  wedding 
garments  fell  to  the  ground,  to  the  great  confusion  of 
the  wearer. 

Not  that  the  ceremony  was  put  off  for  a  little  thing 
like  that !  Cloaks  in  profusion  were  instantly  offered  to 
the  young  bride,  but  she  was  so  upset  that  she  could 
hardly  keep  from  tears.  One  of  the  guests,  more 
curious  than  the  rest,  stayed  behind  to  examine  the 
dress,  determined,  if  she  could,  to  find  out  the  cause  of 
the  disaster. 

'  The  thread  must  have  been  rotten,'  she  said  to 
herself.  '  I  will  see  if  I  can  break  it.'  But  search  as 
she  would  she  could  find  none. 

The  thread  had  vanished  ! 

From  'Literature  Orale  de  1'Auvergne,'  par  Paul  Sebillot. 


THE  THREE  CROWNS 


THERE  was  once  a  king  who  had  three  daughters.  The 
two  eldest  were  very  proud  and  quarrelsome,  but  the 
youngest  was  as  good  as  they  were  bad.  Well,  three 
princes  came  to  court  them,  and  two  of  them  were 
exactly  like  the  eldest  ladies,  and  one  was  just  as 
lovable  as  the  youngest.  One  day  they  were  all  walking 
down  to  a  lake  that  lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  lawn  wrhen 
they  met  a  poor  beggar.  The  king  wouldn't  give  him 
anything,  and  the  eldest  princesses  wouldn't  give  him 
anything,  nor  their  sweethearts ;  but  the  youngest 
daughter  and  her  true  love  did  give  him  something,  and 
kind  words  along  with  it,  and  that  was  better  than  all. 

When  they  got  to  the  edge  of  the  lake  what  did  they 
find  but  the  beautifullest  boat  you  ever  saw  in  your  life  ; 
and  says  the  eldest,  '  I'll  take  a  sail  in  this  fine  boat '  ; 
and  says  the  second  eldest,  '  I'll  take  a  sail  in  this  fine 
boat '  ;  and  says  the  youngest,  '  I  won't  take  a  sail  in 
that  fine  boat,  for  I  am  afraid  it's  an  enchanted  one.' 
But  the  others  persuaded  her  to  go  in,  and  her  father 
was  just  going  in  after  her,  when  up  sprung  on  the 
deck  a  little  man  only  seven  inches  high,  and  ordered 
him  to  stand  back.  Well,  all  the  men  put  their  hands 
to  their  swords  ;  and  if  the  same  swords  were  only 
playthings,  they  weren't  able  to  draw  them,  for  all 
strength  that  was  left  their  arms.  Seven  Inches  loosened 
the  silver  chain  that  fastened  the  boat,  and  pushed  away, 
and  after  grinning  at  the  four  men,  says  he  to  them,  '  Bid 
your  daughters  and  your  brides  farewell  for  awhile. 


96 

You,'  says  he  to  the  youngest,  '  needn't  fear,  you'll 
recover  your  princess  all  in  good  time,  and  you  and 
she  will  be  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long.  Bad  people, 
if  they  were  rolling  stark  naked  in  gold,  would  not  be 
rich.  Good-bye.'  Away  they  sailed,  and  the  ladies 
stretched  out  their  hands,  but  weren't  able  to  say 
a  word. 

Well,  they  weren't  crossing  the  lake  while  a  cat  'ud 
be  lickin'  her  ear,  and  the  poor  men  couldn't  stir  hand 
or  foot  to  follow  them.  They  saw  Seven  Inches  handing 
the  three  princesses  out  of  the  boat,  and  letting  them 
down  by  a  basket  into  a  draw-well,  but  king  nor  princes 
ever  saw  an  opening  before  in  the  same  place.  When 
the  last  lady  was  out  of  sight,  the  men  found  the 
strength  in  their  arms  and  legs  again.  Round  the  lake 
they  ran,  and  never  drew  rein  till  they  came  to  the  well 
and  windlass  ;  and  there  was  the  silk  rope  rolled  on  the 
axle,  and  the  nice  white  basket  hanging  to  it.  '  Let  me 
down,'  says  the  youngest  prince.  '  I'll  die  or  recover 
them  again.'  '  No,'  says  the  second  daughter's  sweet- 
heart, '  it  is  my  turn  first.'  And  says  the  other,  '  I  am 
the  eldest.'  So  they  gave  way  to  him,  and  in  he  got 
into  the  basket,  and  down  they  let  him.  First  they 
lost  sight  of  him,  and  then,  after  winding  off  a  hundred 
perches  of  the  silk  rope,  it  slackened,  and  they  stopped 
turning.  They  waited  two  hours,  and  then  they  went 
to  dinner,  because  there  was  no  pull  made  at  the  rope. 

Guards  were  set  till  next  morning,  and  then  down 
went  the  second  prince,  and  sure  enough,  the  youngest 
of  all  got  himself  let  down  on  the  third  day.  He  went 
down  perches  and  perches,  while  it  was  as  dark  about 
him  as  if  he  was  in  a  big  pot  with  a  cover  on.  At  last 
he  saw  a  glimmer  far  down,  and  in  a  short  time  he  felt 
the  ground.  Out  he  came  from  the  big  lime-kiln, 
and,  lo  !  and  behold  you,  there  was  a  wood,  and  green 
fields,  and  a  castle  in  a  lawn,  and  a  bright  sky  over  all. 
'  It's  in  Tir-na-n-Oge  I  am,'  says  he  '  Let's  see  what 


THE   THREE  CROWNS 


99 


sort  of  people  are  in  the  castle.'  On  he  walked,  across 
fields  and  lawn,  and  no  one  was  there  to  keep  him  out 
or  let  him  into  the  castle  ;  but  the  big  hall-door  was 
wide  open.  He  went  from  one  fine  room  to  another 


that  was  finer,  and  at  last  he  reached  the  handsomest  of 
all,  with  a  table  in  the  middle.  And  such  a  dinner  as 
was  laid  upon  it !  The  prince  was  hungry  enough,  but 
he  was  too  mannerly  to  eat  without  being  invited. 
So  he  sat  by  the  fire,  and  he  did  not  wait  long  till  he 


100  THE  THREE  CROWNS 

heard  steps,  and  in  came  Seven  Inches  with  the  youngest 
sister  by  the  hand.  Well,  prince  and  princess  flew  into 
one  another's  arms,  and  says  the  little  man,  says  he, 
'  Why  aren't  you  eating  ?  '  'I  think,  sir,'  says  the 
prince,  '  it  was  only  good  manners  to  wait  to  be  asked.' 
'  The  other  princes  didn't  think  so,'  says  he.  '  Each  o' 
them  fell  to  without  leave,  and  only  gave  me  the  rough 
words  when  I  told  them  they  were  making  more  free 
than  welcome.  Well,  I  don't  think  they  feel  much 
hunger  now.  There  they  are,  good  marble  instead  of 
flesh  and  blood,'  says  he,  pointing  to  two  statues,  one 
in  one  corner,  and  the  other  in  the  other  corner  of 
the  room.  The  prince  was  frightened,  but  he  was 
afraid  to  say  anything,  and  Seven  Inches  made  him 
sit  down  to  dinner  between  himself  and  his  bride  ; 
and  he'd  be  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long,  only  for  the 
sight  of  the  stone  men  in  the  corner.  Well,  that  day 
went  by,  and  when  the  next  came,  says  Seven  Inches 
to  him,  '  Now,  you'll  have  to  set  out  that  way,'  pointing 
to  the  sun,  '  and  you'll  find  the  second  princess  in  a 
giant's  castle  this  evening,  when  you'll  be  tired  and 
hungry,  and  the  eldest  princess  to-morrow  evening  ; 
and  you  may  as  well  bring  them  here  with  you.  You 
need  not  ask  leave  of  their  masters  ;  and  perhaps  if 
they  ever  get  home,  they'll  look  on  poor  people  as  if 
they  were  flesh  and  blood  like  themselves.' 

Away  went  the  prince,  and  bedad  !  it's  tired  and 
hungry  he  was  when  he  reached  the  first  castle,  at  sunset. 
Oh,  wasn't  the  second  princess  glad  to  see  him  !  and 
what  a  good  supper  she  gave  him.  But  she  heard  the 
giant  at  the  gate,  and  she  hid  the  prince  in  a  closet. 
Well,  when  he  came  in,  he  snuffed,  an'  he  snuffed,  and 
says  he,  '  By  the  life.  I  smell  fresh  meat.'  '  Oh,'  says 
the  princess,  '  it's  only  the  calf  I  got  killed  to-day.' 
'  Ay,  ay,'  says  he,  '  is  supper  ready  ?  '  'It  is,'  says 
she  ;  and  before  he  rose  from  the  table  he  ate  three- 
quarters  of  a  calf,  and  a  flask  of  wine.  '  I  think,' 


THE  THREE  CROWNS  101 

says  he,  when  all  was  done,  '  I  smell  fresh  meat  still.' 
'  It's  sleepy  you  are,'  says  she  ;  '  go  to  bed.'  '  When 
will  you  marry  me  ?  '  says  the  giant.  '  You're  putting 
me  off  too  long.'  '  St.  Tibb's  Eve,'  says  she.  '  I  wish 
I  knew  how  far  off  that  is,'  says  he  ;  and  he  fell  asleep, 
with  his  head  in  the  dish. 

Next  day,  he  went  out  after  breakfast,  and  she  sent 
the  prince  to  the  castle  where  the  eldest  sister  was. 
The  same  thing  happened  there ;  but  when  the  giant 
was  snoring,  the  princess  wakened  up  the  prince,  and 
they  saddled  two  steeds  in  the  stables  and  rode  into 
the  field  on  them.  But  the  horses'  heels  struck  the 
stones  outside  the  gate,  and  up  got  the  giant  and  strode 
after  them.  He  roared  and  he  shouted,  and  the  more 
he  shouted,  the  faster  ran  the  horses,  and  just  as  the 
day  was  breaking  he  was  only  twenty  perches  behind. 
But  the  prince  didn't  leave  the  castle  of  Seven 
Inches  without  being  provided  with  something  good. 
He  reined  in  his  steed,  and  flung  a  short,  sharp  knife 
over  his  shoulder,  and  up  sprung  a  thick  wood  between 
the  giant  and  themselves.  They  caught  the  wind  that 
blew  before  them,  and  the  wind  that  blew  behind 
them  did  not  catch  them.  At  last  they  were  near  the 
castle  where  the  other  sister  lived  ;  and  there  she  was, 
waiting  for  them  under  a  high  hedge,  and  a  fine  steed 
under  her. 

But  the  giant  was  now  in  sight,  roaring  like  a  hundred 
lions,  and  the  other  giant  was  out  in  a  moment,  and 
the  chase  kept  on.  For  every  two  springs  the  horses 
gave,  the  giants  gave  three,  and  at  last  they  were  only 
seventy  perches  off.  Then  the  prince  stopped  again, 
and  flung  the  second  knife  behind  him.  Down  went 
all  the  flat  field,  till  there  was  a  quarry  between  them 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  deep,  and  the  bottom  filled  with  black 
water  ;  and  before  the  giants  could  get  round  it,  the 
prince  and  princesses  were  inside  the  kingdom  of  the 
great  magician,  where  the  high  thorny  hedge  opened 


102  THE   THREE  CROWNS 

of  itself  to  everyone  that  he  chose  to  let  in.  There 
was  joy  enough  between  the  three  sisters,  till  the  two 
eldest  saw  their  lovers  turned  into  stone.  But  while 
they  were  shedding  tears  for  them,  Seven  Inches  came  in, 
and  touched  them  with  his  rod.  So  they  were  flesh, 
and  blood,  and  life  once  more,  and  there  was  great 
hugging  and  kissing,  and  all  sat  down  to  breakfast, 
and  Seven  Inches  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  he  took  them  into  another 
room,  where  there  was  nothing  but  heaps  of  gold,  and 
silver,  and  diamonds,  and  silks,  and  satins  ;  and  on  a 
table  there  was  lying  three  sets  of  crowns  :  a  gold  crown 
was  in  a  silver  crown,  and  that  was  lying  in  a  copper 
crown.  He  took  up  one  set  of  crowns,  and  gave  it  to 
the  eldest  princess  ;  and  another  set,  and  gave  it  to 
the  second  youngest  princess  ;  and  another,  and  gave 
it  to  the  youngest  of  all ;  and  says  he,  '  Now  you  may 
all  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  and  you  have  nothing  to 
do  but  stir  the  basket,  and  the  people  that  are  watching 
above  will  draw  you  up.  But  remember,  ladies,  you 
are  to  keep  your  crowns  safe,  and  be  married  in  them, 
all  the  same  day.  If  you  be  married  separately,  or  if 
you  be  married  without  your  crowns,  a  curse  will  follow 
— mind  what  I  say.' 

So  they  took  leave  of  him  with  great  respect,  and 
walked  arm-in-arm  to  the  bottom  of  the  draw-well. 
There  was  a  sky  and  a  sun  over  them,  and  a  great  high 
wall,  covered  with  ivy,  rose  before  them,  and  was  so  high 
they  could  not  see  to  the  top  of  it ;  and  there  was  an 
arch  in  this  wall,  and  the  bottom  of  the  draw-well  was 
inside  the  arch.  The  youngest  pair  went  last ;  and  says 
the  princess  to  the  prince,  '  I'm  sure  the  two  princes 
don't  mean  any  good  to  you.  Keep  these  crowns  under 
your  cloak,  and  if  you  are  obliged  to  stay  last,  don't  get 
into  the  basket,  but  put  a  big  stone,  or  any  heavy  thing 
inside,  and  see  what  will  happen.' 

As  soon  as  they  were  inside  the  dark  cave,  they  put 


THE   THREE  CROWNS  103 

in  the  eldest  princess  first,  and  stirred  the  basket,  and 
up  she  went.  Then  the  basket  was  let  down  again, 
and  up  went  the  second  princess,  and  then  up  went  the 
youngest ;  but  first  she  put  her  arms  round  her  prince's 
neck,  and  kissed  him,  and  cried  a  little.  At  last  it  came 
to  the  turn  of  the  youngest  prince,  and  instead  of  going 
into  the  basket  he  put  in  a  big  stone.  He  drew  on  one 
side  and  listened,  and  after  the  basket  was  drawn  up 
about  twenty  perches,  down  came  it  and  the  stone  like 
thunder,  and  the  stone  was  broken  into  little  bits. 

Well,  the  poor  prince  had  nothing  for  it  but  to  walk 
back  to  the  castle  ;  and  through  it  and  round  it  he 
walked,  and  the  finest  of  eating  and  drinking  he  got,  and 
a  bed  of  bog-down  to  sleep  on,  and  long  walks  he  took 
through  gardens  and  lawns,  but  not  a  sight  could  he  get, 
high  or  low,  of  Seven  Inches.  He,  before  a  week,  got 
tired  of  it,  he  was  so  lonesome  for  his  true  love  ;  and 
at  the  end  of  a  month  he  didn't  know  what  to  do  with 
himself. 

One  morning  he  went  into  the  treasure  room,  and 
took  notice  of  a  beautiful  snuff-box  on  the  table  that  he 
didn't  remember  seeing  there  before.  He  took  it  in  his 
hands  and  opened  it,  and  out  Seven  Inches  walked  on 
the  table.  '  I  think,  prince,'  says  he,  '  you're  getting  a 
little  tired  of  my  castle  ?  '  '  Ah  !  '  says  the  other,  '  if 
I  had  my  princess  here,  and  could  see  you  now  and  then, 
I'd  never  know  a  dismal  day.'  '  Well,  you're  long  enough 
here  now,  and  you're  wanted  there  above.  Keep  your 
bride's  crowns  safe,  and  whenever  you  want  my  help, 
open  this  snuff-box.  Now  take  a  walk  down  the  garden, 
and  come  back  when  you're  tired.' 

The  prince  was  going  down  a  gravel  walk  with 
a  quickset  hedge  on  each  side,  and  his  eyes  on  the 
ground,  and  he  was  thinking  of  one  thing  and  another. 
At  last  he  lifted  his  eyes,  and  there  he  was  outside 
of  a  smith's  gate  that  he  often  passed  before,  about 
a  mile  away  from  the  palace  of  his  betrothed  princess. 


104  THE  THREE  CROWNS 

The  clothes  he  had  on  him  were  as  ragged  as  you  please, 
but  he  had  his  crowns  safe  under  his  old  cloak. 

Then  the  smith  came  out,  and  says  he,  '  It's  a 
shame  for  a  strong,  big  fellow  like  you  to  be  lazy,  and 
so  much  work  to  be  done.  Are  you  any  good  with 
hammer  and  tongs  ?  Come  in  and  bear  a  hand,  an 
I'll  give  you  diet  and  lodging,  and  a  few  pence  when 
you  earn  them.'  '  Never  say't  twice,'  says  the  prince. 
*  I  want  nothing  but  to  be  busy.'  So  he  took  the 
hammer,  and  pounded  away  at  the  red-hot  bar  that  the 
smith  was  turning  on  the  anvil  to  make  into  a  set  of 
horse-shoes. 

They  hadn't  been  long  at  work  when  a  tailor  came 
in,  and  he  sat  down  and  began  to  talk.  '  You  all  heard 
how  the  two  princesses  were  loth  to  be  married  till 
the  youngest  would  be  ready  with  her  crowns  and  her 
sweetheart.  But  after  the  windlass  loosened  accidentally 
when  they  were  pulling  up  her  bridegroom  that  was  to 
be,  there  was  no  more  sign  of  a  well,  or  a  rope,  or  a 
windlass,  than  there  is  on  the  palm  of  your  hand.  So 
the  princes  that  were  courting  the  eldest  ladies  wouldn't 
give  peace  or  ease  to  their  lovers  nor  the  king  till 
they  got  consent  to  the  marriage,  and  it  was  to  take 
place  this  morning.  Myself  went  down  out  o'  curiosity, 
and  to  be  sure  I  was  delighted  with  the  grand  dresses  of 
the  two  brides,  and  the  three  crowns  on  their  heads — 
gold,  silver,  and  copper,  one  inside  the  other.  The 
youngest  was  standing  by  mournful  enough,  and  all  was 
ready.  The  two  bridegrooms  came  in  as  proud  and 
grand  as  you  please,  and  up  they  were  walking  to  the 
altar  rails,  when  the  boards  opened  two  yards  wide  under 
their  feet,  and  down  they  went  among  the  dead  men  and 
the  coffins  in  the  vaults.  Oh,  such  shrieks  as  the  ladies 
gave !  and  such  running  and  racing  and  peeping  down 
as  there  was  !  but  the  clerk  soon  opened  the  door  of  the 
vault,  and  up  came  the  two  princes,  their  fine  clothes 
covered  an  inch  thick  with  cobwebs  and  mould. 


DOUN    \OE,NT    THE  TU>O   BRjDEGRQOfOS 


THE   THREE  CROWNS  107 

So  the  king  said  they  should  put  off  the  marriage. 
'  For,'  says  he,  '  I  see  there  is  no  use  in  thinking  of  it 
till  the  youngest  gets  her  three  crowns,  and  is  married 
with  the  others.  I'll  give  my  youngest  daughter  for  a 
wife  to  whoever  brings  three  crowns  to  me  like  the 
others  ;  and  if  he  doesn't  care  to  be  married,  some 
other  one  will,  and  I'll  make  his  fortune.' 

'  I  wish,'  says  the  smith,  '  I  could  do  it ;  but  I  was 
looking  at  the  crowns  after  the  princesses  got  home, 
and  I  don't  think  there's  a  black  or  a  white  smith  on 
the  face  of  the  earth  that  could  imitate  them.'  'Faint 
heart  never  won  fair  lady,'  says  the  prince.  '  Go  to 
the  palace  and  ask  for  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  gold,  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  silver,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  copper.  Get  one  crown  for  a  pattern,  and  my  head 
for  a  pledge,  I'll  give  you  out  the  very  things  that  are 
wanted  in  the  morning.'  '  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  '  says 
the  smith.  '  Faith,  I  am  so,'  says  he.  '  Go  !  you  can't 
do  worse  than  lose.' 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  the  smith  got  the 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  gold,  and  the  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  silver,  and  the  quarter  of  a  pound  of  copper,  and 
gave  them  and  the  pattern  crown  to  the  prince.  He 
shut  the  forge  door  at  nightfall,  and  the  neighbours  all 
gathered  in  the  yard,  and  they  heard  him  hammering, 
hammering,  hammering,  from  that  to  daybreak  ;  and 
every  now  and  then  he'd  throw  out  through  the  window 
bits  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper  ;  and  the  idlers  scrambled 
for  them,  and  cursed  one  another,  and  prayed  for  the 
good  luck  of  the  workman. 

Well,  just  as  the  sun  was  thinking  to  rise,  he  opened 
the  door,  and  brought  out  the  three  crowns  he  got  from 
his  true  love,  and  such  shouting  and  huzzaing  as  there 
was  !  The  smith  asked  him  to  go  along  with  him  to 
the  palace,  but  he  refused  ;  so  off  set  the  smith,  and  the 
whole  townland  with  him  ;  and  wasn't  the  king  rejoiced 
when  he  saw  the  crowns  !  '  Well,'  says  he  to  the  smith. 


108  THE  THREE  CROWNS 

*  you're  a  married  man.     What's  to  be  done  ?  '     '  Faith, 
your  majesty,  I  didn't  make  them  crowns  at  all.     It 
was  a  big  fellow  that  took  service  with  me  yesterday.' 
'  Well,  daughter,  will  you  marry  the  fellow  that  made 
these  crowns  ?  '     '  Let  me  see  them  first,  father,'  said 
she ;  but  when  she  examined  them  she  knew  them  right 
well,  and  guessed  it  was  her  true  love  that  sent  them. 
'  I  will  marry  the  man  that  these  crowns  came  from,' 
says  she. 

'  Well,'  says  the  king  to  the  elder  of  the  two  princes, 

*  go  up  to  the  smith's  forge,  take  my  best  coaches,  and 
bring  home  the  bridegroom.'      He    did  not  like  doing 
this,  he  was  so  proud,  but  he  could  not  refuse.     When 
he  came  to  the  forge  he  saw  the  prince  standing  at  the 
door,  and  beckoned  Mm  over  to  the  coach.     '  Are  you 
the  fellow,'  says  he,  '  that  made  these  crowns  ?  '     '  Yes,' 
says  the  other.     '  Then,'    says  he,  '  maybe  you'd  give 
yourself  a  brushing,  and  get  into  that  coach  ;   the  king 
wants  to  see  you.      I  pity  the  princess.'      The  young 
prince  got  into  the  carriage,  and  while  they  were  on 
the  way  he  opened  the  snuff-box,  and  out  walked  Seven 
Inches,  and  stood  on  his  thigh.     '  Well,'  says  he,  '  what 
trouble  is  on  you  now  ?  '     '  Master,'  says  the  other, 
'  please  let  me  go  back  to  my  forge,  and  let  this  carriage 
be  filled  with  paving  stones.'      No  sooner  said  than 
done.     The  prince  was  sitting  in  his  forge,  and  the  horses 
wondered  what  was  after  happening  to  the  carriage. 

When  they  came  into  the  palace  yard,  the  king 
himself  opened  the  carriage  door,  for  respect  to  his 
new  son-in-law.  As  soon  as  he  turned  the  handle,  a 
shower  of  small  stones  fell  on  his  powdered  wig  and 
his  silk  coat,  and  down  he  fell  under  them.  There  was 
great  fright  and  some  laughter,  and  the  king,  after  he 
wiped  the  blood  from  his  forehead,  looked  very  cross  at 
the  eldest  prince.  '  My  lord,'  says  he,  '  I'm  very  sorry 
for  this  accident,  but  I'm  not  to  blame.  I  saw  the 
young  smith  get  into  the  carriage,  and  we  never  stopped 


THE  THREE  CROWNS  109 

a  minute  since.'  '  It's  uncivil  you  were  to  him.  Go,' 
says  he  to  the  other  prince,  '  and  bring  the  young  smith 
here,  and  be  polite.'  '  Never  fear,'  says  he. 

But  there's  some  people  that  couldn't  be  good- 
natured  if  they  tried,  and  not  a  bit  civiller  was  the  new 
messenger  than  the  old,  and  when  the  king  opened  the 
carriage  door  a  second  time,  it's  a  shower  of  mud  that 
came  down  on  him.  '  There's  no  use,'  says  he,  '  going 
on  this  way.  The  fox  never  got  a  better  messenger  than, 
himself.' 

So  he  changed  his  clothes,  and  washed  himself,  and 
out  he  set  to  the  prince's  forge  and  asked  him  to  sit  along 
with  himself.  The  prince  begged  to  be  allowed  to  sit  in 
the  other  carriage,  and  when  they  were  half-way  he 
opened  his-snuff  box.  '  Master,'  says  he,  '  I'd  wish  to 
be  dressed  now  according  to  my  rank.'  '  You  shall  be 
that,'  says  Seven  Inches.  '  And  now  I'll  bid  you  fare- 
well. Continue  as  good  and  kind  as  you  always  were  ; 
love  your  wife  ;  and  that's  all  the  advice  I'll  give  you.* 
So  Seven  Inches  vanished  ;  and  when  the  carriage  door 
was  opened  in  the  yard,  out  walks  the  prince  as  fine  as 
hands  could  make  him,  and  the  first  thing  he  did  was 
to  run  over  to  his  bride  and  embrace  her. 

Every  one  was  full  of  joy  but  the  two  other  princes. 
There  was  not  much  delay  about  the  marriages,  and  they 
were  all  celebrated  on  the  one  day.  Soon  after,  the  two 
elder  couples  went  to  their  own  courts,  but  the  youngest 
pair  stayed  with  the  old  king,  and  they  were  as  happy 
as  the  happiest  married  couple  you  ever  heard  of  in  a 
story. 

From  'West  Highland  Tales.' 


THE  STORY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY 


ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  in  a  little  village  in  the 
very  middle  of  France  a  widow  and  her  only  son,  a  boy 
about  fifteen,  whose  name  was  Antoine,  though  no  one 
ever  called  him  anything  but  Toueno-Boueno.  They 
were  very  poor  indeed,  and  their  hut  shook  about  their 
ears  on  windy  nights,  till  they  expected  the  walls  to 
fall  in  and  crush  them,  but  instead  of  going  to  work  as  a 
boy  of  his  age  ought  to  do,  Toueno-Boueno  did  nothing 
but  lounge  along  the  street,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground, 
seeing  nothing  that  went  on  round  him. 

'You  are  very,  very  stupid,  my  dear  child,'  his 
mother  would  sometimes  say  to  him,  and  then  she 
would  add  with  a  laugh,  '  Certainly  you  will  never  catch 
a  wolf  by  the  tail.' 

One  day  the  old  woman  bade  Antoine  go  into  the 
forest  and  collect  enough  dry  leaves  to  make  beds  for 
herself  and  him.  Before  he  had  finished  it  began  to 
rain  heavily,  so  he  hid  himself  in  the  hollow  trunk  of  a 
tree,  where  he  was  so  dry  and  comfortable  that  he  soon 
fell  fast  asleep.  By  and  by  he  was  awakened  by  a 
noise  which  sounded  like  a  dog  scratching  at  the  door, 
and  he  suddenly  felt  frightened,  why  he  did  not  know. 
Very  cautiously  he  raised  his  head,  and  right  above 
him  he  saw  a  big  hairy  animal,  coming  down  tail  fore- 
most. 

1  It  is  the  wolf  that  they  talk  so  much  about,'  he 


THE  STORY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY     111 

said  to  himself,  and  he  made  himself  as  small  as  he  could 
and  shrunk  into  a  corner. 

The  wolf  came  down  the  inside  of  the  tree,  slowly, 
slowly ;  Antoine  felt  turned  to  stone,  so  terrified  was  he, 
and  hardly  dared  to  breathe.  Suddenly  an  idea  entered 
his  mind,  which  he  thought  might  save  him  still.  He 
remembered  to  have  heard  from  his  mother  that  a  wolf 
could  neither  bend  his  back  nor  turn  his  head,  so  as  to 
look  behind  him,  and  quick  as  lightning  he  stretched  up 
his  hand,  and  seizing  the  wolf's  tail,  pulled  it  towards 
him. 

Then  he  left  the  tree  and  dragged  the  animal  to  his 
mother's  house. 

'  Mother,  you  have  often  declared  that  I  was  too 
stupid  to  catch  a  wolf  by  the  tail.  Now  see,'  he  cried 
triumphantly. 

'  Well,  well,  wonders  will  never  cease,'  answered  the 
good  woman,  who  took  care  to  keep  at  a  safe  distance. 
'  But  as  you  really  have  got  him,  let  us  see  if  we  can't 
put  him  to  some  use.  Fetch  the  skin  of  the  ram  which 
died  last  week  out  of  the  chest,  and  we  will  sew  the  wolf 
up  in  it.  He  will  make  a  splendid  ram,  ancLto-morrow 
we  will  drive  him  to  the  fair  and  sell  him.' 

Very  likely  the  wolf,  who  was  cunning  and  clever, 
may  have  understood  what  she  said,  but  he  thought  it 
best  to  give  no  sign,  and  suffered  the  skin  to  be  sewn 
upon  him. 

'  I  can  always  get  away  if  I  choose,'  thought  he, 
'  it  is  better  not  to  be  in  a  hurry ; '  so  he  remained  quite 
still  while  the  skin  was  drawn  over  his  head,  which 
made  him  very  hot  and  uncomfortable,  and  resisted  the 
temptation  to  snap  off  the  fingers  or  noses  that  were  so 
close  to  his  mouth. 

The  fair  was  at  its  height  next  day  when  Toueno- 
Boueno  arrived  with  his  wolf  in  ram's  clothing.  All  the 
farmers  crowded  round  him,  each  offering  a  higher 


112     THE  STORY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY 

price  than  the  last.  Never  had  they  beheld  such  a 
beautiful  beast,  said  they,  and  at  last,  after  much 
bargaining,  he  was  handed  over  to  three  brothers  for  a 
good  sum  of  money. 


It  happened  that  these  three  brothers  owned  large 
flocks  of  sheep,  though  none  so  large  and  fine  as  the  one 
they  had  just  bought. 

'  My  flock  is  the  nearest,'  observed  the  eldest  brother  ; 
'  we  will  leave  him  in  the  fold  for  the  night,  and  to- 


THE  STORY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY     113 

morrow  we  will  decide  which  pastures  will  be  best  for 
him.'  And  the  wolf  grinned  as  he  listened,  and  held  up 
his  head  a  little  higher  than  before. 

Early  next  morning  the  young  farmer  began  to  go 
his  rounds,  and  the  sheep-fold  was  the  first  place  he 
visited.  To  his  horror,  the  sheep  were  all  stretched 
out  dead  before  him,  except  one,  which  the  wolf  had 
eaten,  bones  and  all.  Instantly  the  truth  flashed 
upon  him.  It  was  no  ram  that  lay  curled  up  in  the 
corner  pretending  to  be  asleep  (for  in  reality  he  could 
bend  back  and  turn  his  head  as  much  as  he  liked) ,  but  a 
wolf  who  was  watching  him  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye, 
and  might  spring  upon  him  at  any  moment.  So  the 
farmer  took  no  notice,  and  only  thought  that  here  was 
a  fine  chance  of  revenging  himself  on  his  next  brother  for 
a  trick  which  he  had  played,  and  merely  told  him  that 
the  ram  would  not  eat  the  grass  in  that  field,  and  it  might 
be  well  to  drive  him  to  the  pasture  by  the  river,  where 
his  own  flock  was  feeding.  The  second  brother  eagerly 
swallowed  the  bait,  and  that  evening  the  wolf  wras 
driven  down  to  the  field  where  the  young  man  kept  the 
sheep  which  had  been  left  him  by  his  father.  By  the 
next  morning  they  also  were  all  dead,  but  the  second 
brother  likewise  held  his  peace,  and  allowed  the  sheep 
which  belonged  to  the  youngest  to  share  the  fate  of  the 
other  two.  Then  they  met  and  confessed  to  each  other 
their  disasters,  and  resolved  to  take  the  animal  as  fast 
as  possible  back  to  Toueno-Boueno,  who  should  get  a 
sound  thrashing. 

Antoine  was  sitting  on  a  plum  tree  belonging  to  a 
neighbour,  eating  the  ripe  fruit,  when  he  saw  the  three 
young  farmers  coming  towards  him.  Swinging  himself 
down,  he  flew  home  to  the  hut,  crying  breathlessly, 
'  Mother,  mother,  the  farmers  are  close  by  with  the 
wolf.  They  have  found  out  all  about  it,  and  will  cer- 
tainly kill  me,  and  perhaps  you  too.  But  if  you  do  as 

L.  I 


114    THE  STOEY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY 

I  tell  you,  I  may  be  able  to  save  us  both.  Lie  down  on 
the  floor,  and  pretend  to  be  dead,  and  be  sure  not  to 
speak,  whatever  happens.' 

Thus  when  the  three  brothers,  each  armed  with  a 
whip,  entered  the  hut  a  few  seconds  later,  they  found 
a  woman  extended  on  the  floor,  and  Toueno  kneeling 
at  her  side,  whistling  loudly  into  her  ears. 

'  What  are  you  doing  now,  you  rascal  ?  '  asked  the 
eldest. 

'  What  am  I  doing  ?  Oh,  my  poor  friends,  I  am  the 
most  miserable  creature  in  the  world  !  I  have  lost  the 
best  of  mothers,  and  I  don't  know  what  will  become 
of  me,'  and  he  hid  his  face  in  his  hands  and  sobbed 
again. 

'  But  what  are  you  whistling  like  that  for  ?  ' 

'  Well,  it  is  the  only  chance.  This  whistle  has  been 

known  to  bring  the  dead  back  to  life,  and  I  hoped ' 

here  he  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  again,  but  peeping 
between  his  fingers  he  saw  that  the  brothers  had  opened 
their  six  eyes  as  wide  as  saucers. 

'  Look  ! '  he  suddenly  exclaimed  with  a  cry,  '  Look  ! 
I  am  sure  I  felt  her  body  move  !  And  now  her  nostrils 
are  twitching.  Ah  !  the  whistle  has  not  lost  its  power 
after  all,'  and  stooping  down,  Toueno  whistled  more 
loudly  than  before,  so  that  the  old  woman's  feet  and 
hands  showed  signs  of  life,  and  she  soon  was  able  to  lift 
her  head. 

The  farmers  were  so  astonished  at  her  restoration, 
that  it  was  some  time  before  they  could  speak.  At  length 
the  eldest  turned  to  the  boy  and  said  : 

'  Now  listen  to  me.  There  is  no  manner  of  doubt 
that  you  are  a  young  villain.  You  sold  us  a  ram  knowing 
full  well  that  it  was  a  wolf,  and  we  came  here  to-day 
to  pay  you  out  for  it.  But  if  you  will  give  us  that  whistle, 
we  will  pardon  what  you  have  done,  and  will  leave  you 
alone.' 

'  It  is  my  only  treasure,  and  I  S3t  great  store  by  it,' 


THE  STORY   OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY     115 

answered  the  boy,  pretending  to  hesitate.  '  But  as  you 
wish  for  it  so  much,  well,  I  suppose  I  can't  refuse,'  and 
he  held  out  the  whistle,  which  the  eldest  brother  put  in 
his  pocket. 

Armed  with  the  precious  whistle,  the  three  brothers 
returned  home  full  of  joy,  and  as  they  went  the  youngest 
said  to  the  others, '  I  have  such  a  good  idea !  Our  wives 
are  all  lazy  and  grumbling,  and  make  our  lives  a  burden. 
Let  us  give  them  a  lesson,  and  kill  them  as  soon  as 
we  get  in.  Of  course  we  can  restore  them  to  life  at  once, 
but  they  will  have  had  a  rare  fright.' 

'  Ah,  how  clever  you  are,'  answered  the  other  two. 
'  Nobody  else  would  have  thought  of  that.' 

So  gaily  the  three  husbands  knocked  down  their 
three  wives,  who  fell  dead  to  the  ground.  Then  one  by 
one  the  men  tried  the  whistle,  and  blew  so  loudly  that 
it  seemed  as  if  their  lungs  would  burst,  but  the  women 
lay  stark  and  stiff  and  never  moved  an  eyelid.  The 
husbands  grew  pale  and  cold,  for  they  had  never 
dreamed  of  this,  nor  meant  any  harm,  and  after  a  while 
they  understood  that  their  efforts  were  of  no  use, 
and  that  once  more  the  boy  had  tricked  them.  With 
stern  faces  they  rose  to  their  feet,  and  taking  a  large 
sack  they  retraced  their  steps  to  the  hut. 

This  time  there  was  no  escape.  Toueno  had  been 
asleep,  and  only  opened  his  eyes  as  they  entered.  With- 
out a  word  on  either  side  they  thrust  him  into  the  sack, 
and  tying  up  the  mouth,  the  eldest  threw  it  over  his 
shoulder.  After  that  they  all  set  out  to  the  river, 
where  they  intended  to  drown  the  boy. 

But  the  river  was  a  long  way  off,  and  the  day  was 
very  hot,  and  Antoine  was  heavy,  heavier  than  a  whole 
sheaf  of  corn.  They  carried  him  in  turns,  but  even  so 
they  grew  very  tired  and  thirsty,  and  when  a  little 
tavern  came  in  sight  on  the  roadside,  they  thankfully 
flung  the  sack  down  on  a  bench  and  entered  to  refresh 

i2 


116    THE  STORY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY 

themselves.  They  never  noticed  that  a  beggar  was 
sitting  in  the  shade  at  the  end  of  the  bench,  but  Toueno's 
sharp  ears  caught  the  sound  of  someone  eating,  and  as 
soon  as  the  farmers  had  gone  into  the  inn  he  began  to 
groan  softly. 

'  What  is  the  matter  ? '  asked  the  beggar,  drawing  a 
little  nearer.  '  Why  have  they  shut  you  up,  poor  boy  ?  ' 

'  Because  they  wanted  to  make  me  a  bishop,  and  I 
would  not  consent,'  answered  Toueno. 

'  Dear  me,'  exclaimed  the  beggar,  'yet  it  isn't  such  a 
bad  thing  to  be  a  bishop.' 

'  I  don't  say  it  is,'  replied  the  young  rascal,  '  but  / 
should  never  like  it.  However,  if  you  have  any  fancy 
for  wearing  a  mitre,  you  need  only  untie  the  sack,  and 
take  my  place.' 

'  I  should  like  nothing  better,'  said  the  man,  as  he 
stooped  to  undo  the  big  knot. 

So  it  was  the  beggar  and  not  Toueno-Bueno  who 
was  flung  into  the  water. 

The  next  morning  the  three  wives  were  buried,  and 
on  returning  from  the  cemetery,  their  husbands  met 
Toueno-Bueno  driving  a  magnificent  flock  of  sheep. 
At  the  sight  of  him  the  three  farmers  stood  still  with 
astonishment. 

'  What !  you  scoundrel !  '  they  cried  at  last,  '  we 
drowned  you  yesterday,  and  to-day  we  find  you  again, 
as  well  as  e^er  !  ' 

'  It  does  seem  odd,  doesn't  it  ?  '  answered  he.  '  But 
perhaps  you  don't  know  that  beneath  this  world  there 
lies  another  yet  more  beautiful  and  far,  far  richer. 
Well,  it  was  there  that  you  sent  me  when  you  flung  me 
into  the  river,  and  though  I  felt  a  little  strange  at  first, 
yet  I  soon  began  to  look  about  me,  and  to  see  what 
was  happening.  There  I  noticed  that  close  to  the  place 
where  I  had  fallen,  a  sheep  fair  was  being  held,  and  a 
bystander  told  me  that  every  day  horsos  or  cattle  were 


THE  STORY  OF  A    VERY  BAD  BOY     117 

sold  somewhere  in  the  town.  If  I  had  only  had  the 
luck  to  be  thrown  into  the  river  on  the  side  of  the  horse 
fair  I  might  have  made  my  fortune  !  As  it  was,  I 
had  to  content  myself  with  buying  these  sheep,  which 
you  can  get  for  nothing.' 

'  And  do  you  know  exactly  the  spot  in  the  river  which 
lies  over  the  horse  fair  ?  ' 

'  As  if  I  did  not  know  it,  when  I  have  seen  it  with 
my  own  eyes.' 

'  Then  if  you  do  not  want  us  to  avenge  our  dead 
flocks  and  our  murdered  wives,  you  will  have  to  throw 
us  into  the  river  just  over  the  place  of  the  horse  fair.' 

'  Very  well ;  only  you  must  get  three  sacks  and  come 
with  me  to  that  rock  which  juts  into  the  river.  I  will 
throw  you  in  from  there,  and  you  will  fall  nearly  on  to 
the  horses'  backs.' 

So  he  threw  them  in,  and  as  they  were  never  seen 
again,  no  one  ever  knew  into  which  fair  they  had  fallen. 

From  'Litterature  Orale  de  1'Auvergne,  par  Paul  Sebillot. 


THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY 


THESE  was  once  a  king  in  Ireland,  and  he  had  three 
daughters,  and  very  nice  princesses  they  were.  And 
one  day,  when  they  and  their  father  were  walking  on 
the  lawn,  the  king  began  to  joke  with  them,  and  to  ask 
them  whom  they  would  like  to  be  married  to.  '  I'll  have 
the  king  of  Ulster  for  a  husband,'  says  one  ;  '  and  I'll 
have  the  king  of  Munster,'  says  another ;  '  and,'  says  the 
youngest,  '  I'll  have  no  husband  but  the  Brown  Bear  of 
Norway.'  For  a  nurse  of  hers  used  to  be  telling  her 
of  an  enchanted  prince  that  she  called  by  that  name, 
and  she  fell  in  love  with  him,  and  his  name  was  the 
first  name  on  her  tongue,  for  the  very  night  before  she 
was  dreaming  of  him.  Well,  one  laughed,  and  another 
laughed,  and  they  joked  with  the  princess  all  the  rest  of 
the  evening.  But  that  very  night  she  woke  up  out  of 
her  sleep  in  a  great  hall  that  was  lighted  up  with  a 
thousand  lamps  ;  the  richest  carpets  were  on  the  floor, 
and  the  walls  were  covered  with  cloth  of  gold  and  silver, 
and  the  place  was  full  of  grand  company,  and  the  very 
beautiful  prince  she  saw  in  her  dreams  was  there,  and 
it  wasn't  a  moment  till  he  was  on  one  knee  before  her, 
and  telling  her  how  much  he  loved  her,  and  asking  her 
wouldn't  she  be  his  queen.  Well,  she  hadn't  the  heart 
to  refuse  him,  and  married  they  were  the  same  evening. 
'  Now,  my  darling,'  says  he,  when  they  were  left  by 
themselves,  '  you  must  know  that  I  am  under  enchant- 
ment. A  sorceress,  that  had  a  beautiful  daughter, 
wished  me  for  her  son-in-law ;  but  the  mother  got 


THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY       119 

power  over  me,  and  when  I  refused  to  wed  her  daughter 
she  made  me  take  the  form  of  a  bear  by  day,  and 
I  was  to  continue  so  till  a  lady  would  marry  me  of 
her  own  free  will,  and  endure  five  years  of  groat  trials 
after.' 

Well,  when  the  princess  woke  in  the  morning,  she 
missed  her  husband  from  her  side,  and  spent  the  day 
very  sadly.  But  as  soon  as  the  lamps  were  lighted  in, 
the  grand  hall,  where  she  was  sitting  on  a  sofa  covered 
with  silk,  the  folding  doors  flew  open,  and  he  was 
sitting  by  her  side  the  next  minute.  So  they  spent 
another  happy  evening,  but  he  warned  her  that  when- 
ever she  began  to  tire  of  him,  or  ceased  to  have  faith 
in  him,  they  would  be  parted  for  ever,  and  he'd  be 
obliged  to  marry  the  witch's  daughter. 

She  got  used  to  find  him  absent  by  day,  and  they 
spent  a  happy  twelvemonth  together,  and  at  last  a 
beautiful  little  boy  was  born  ;  and  happy  as  she  was 
before,  she  was  twice  as  happy  now,  for  she  had  her 
child  to  keep  her  company  in  the  day  when  she  couldn't 
see  her  husband. 

At  last,  one  evening,  when  herself,  and  himself,  and 
her  child  were  sitting  with  a  window  open  because  it 
was  a  sultry  night,  in  flew  an  eagle,  took  the  infant's 
sash  in  his  beak,  and  flew  up  in  the  air  with  him.  She 
screamed,  and  was  going  to  throw  herself  out  through 
the  window  after  him,  but  the  prince  caught  her,  and 
looked  at  her  very  seriously.  She  bethought  of  what 
he  said  soon  after  their  marriage,  and  she  stopped  the 
cries  and  complaints  that  were  on  her  tongue.  She  spent 
her  days  very  lonely  for  another  twelvemonth,  wrhen  a 
beautiful  little  girl  was  sent  to  her.  Then  she  thought 
to  herself  she'd  have  a  sharp  eye  about  her  this  time  ; 
so  she  never  would  allow  a  window  to  be  more  than  a 
few  inches  open. 

But  all  her  care  was  in  vain.  Another  evening, 
when  they  were  all  so  happy,  and  the  prince  dandling 


120       THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY 

the  baby,  a  beautiful  greyhound  stood  before  them, 
took  the  child  out  of  the  father's  hand,  and  was 
out  of  the  door  before  you  could  wink.  This  time  she 
shouted  and  ran  out  of  the  room,  but  there  were  some 
of  the  servants  in  the  next  room,  and  all  declared  that 
neither  child  nor  dog  passed  out.  She  felt,  somehow, 
as  if  it  was  her  husband's  fault,  but  still  she  kept  com- 
mand over  herself,  and  didn't  once  reproach  him. 

When  the  third  child  was  born  she  would  hardly 
allow  a  window  or  a  door  to  be  left  open  for  a  moment ; 
but  she  wasn't  the  nearer  to  keep  the  child  to  herself. 
'They  were  sitting  one  evening  by  the  fire,  when  a  lady 
appeared  standing  by  them.  The  princess  opened  her 
eyes  in  a  great  fright  and  stared  at  her,  and  while 
she  was  doing  so,  the  lady  wrapped  a  shawl  round  the 
baby  that  was  sitting  in  its  father's  lap,  and  either  sank 
through  the  ground  with  it  or  went  up  through  the 
wide  chimney.  This  time  the  mother  kept  her  bed 
for  a  month. 

'  My  dear,'  said  she  to  her  husband,  when  she 
was  beginning  to  recover,  '  I  think  I'd  feel  better 
if  I  was  to  see  my  father  and  mother  and  sisters 
once  more.  If  you  give  me  leave  to  go  home 
for  a  few  days  I'd  be  glad.'  '  Very  well,'  said  he, 
'  I  will  do  that,  and  whenever  you  feel  inclined  to 
return,  only  mention  your  wish  when  you  lie  down  at 
night.'  The  next  morning  when  she  awroke  she  found 
herself  in  her  own  old  chamber  in  her  father's  palace. 
She  rang  the  bell,  and  in  a  short  time  she  had  her 
mother  and  father  and  married  sisters  about  her,  and 
they  laughed  till  they  cried  for  joy  at  finding  her  safe 
back  again. 

In  time  she  told  them  all  that  ha.d  happened  to  her, 
and  they  didn't  know  what  to  advise  her  to  do.  She 
was  as  fond  of  her  husband  as  ever,  and  said  she  wras 
sure  that  he  couldn't  help  letting  the  children  go  ;  but 
still  she  was  afraid  beyond  the  world  to  have  another 


"tlje    Princess  loses   Kef  "first    Baby 


THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY       123 

child  torn  from  her.  Well,  the  mother  and  sisters 
consulted  a  wise  woman  that  used  to  bring  eggs  to 
the  castle,  for  they  had  great  faith  in  her  wisdom. 
She  said  the  only  plan  was  to  secure  the  bear's  skin 
that  the  prince  was  obliged  to  put  on  every  morning, 
and  get  it  burned,  and  then  he  couldn't  help  being  a 
man  night  and  day,  and  the  enchantment  would  be 
at  an  end. 

So  they  all  persuaded  her  to  do  that,  and  she  promised 
she  would  ;  and  after  eight  days  she  felt  so  great  a 
longing  to  see  her  husband  again  that  she  made  the 
wish  the  same  night,  and  when  she  woke  three  hours 
after,  she  was  in  her  husband's  palace,  and  he  himself 
was  watching  over  her.  There  was  great  joy  on  both 
sides,  and  they  were  happy  for  many  days. 

Now  she  began  to  think  how  she  never  minded  her 
husband  leaving  her  in  the  morning,  and  how  she  never 
found  him  neglecting  to  give  her  a  sweet  drink  out  of  a 
gold  cup  just  as  she  was  going  to  bed. 

One  night  she  contrived  not  to  drink  any  of  it, 
though  she  pretended  to  do  so  ;  and  she  was  wakeful 
enough  in  the  morning,  and  saw  her  husband  passing 
out  through  a  panel  in  the  wainscot,  though  she  kept 
her  eyelids  nearly  closed.  The  next  night  she  got  a 
few  drops  of  the  sleepy  posset  that  she  saved  the  evening 
before  put  into  her  husband's  night  drink,  and  that 
made  him  sleep  sound  enough.  She  got  up  after 
midnight,  passed  through  the  panel,  and  found  a  beau- 
tiful brown  bear's  hide  hanging  in  the  corner.  Then  she 
stole  back,  and  went  down  to  the  parlour  fire,  and  put 
the  hide  into  the  middle  of  it  till  it  was  all  fine  ashes. 
She  then  lay  down  by  her  husband,  gave  him  a  kiss  on 
the  cheek,  and  fell  asleep. 

If  she  was  to  live  a  hundred  years  she'd  never  forget 
how  she  wakened  next  morning,  and  found  her  husband 
looking  down  on  her  with  misery  and  anger  in  his  face. 
'  Unhappy  woman,'  said  he,  '  you  have  separated  us 


for  ever  !  Why  hadn't  you  patience  for  five  years  ? 
I  am  now  obliged,  whether  I  like  or  no,  to  go  a  three 
days'  journey  to  the  witch's  castle,  and  marry  her 
daughter.  The  skin  that  was  my  guard  you  have 
burned  it,  and  the  egg-wife  that  gave  you  the  counsel 
was  the  witch  herself.  I  won't  reproach  you  :  your 
punishment  will  be  severe  enough  without  it.  Farewell 
for  ever  ! ' 

He  kissed  her  for  the  last  time,  and  was  off  the  next 
minute,  walking  as  fast  as  he  could.  She  shouted  after 
him,  and  then  seeing  there  was  no  use,  she  dressed  her- 
self and  pursued  him.  He  never  stopped,  nor  stayed, 
nor  looked  back,  and  still  she  kept  him  in  sight ; 
and  when  he  was  on  the  hill  she  was  in  the  hollow, 
and  when  he  was  in  the  hollow  she  was  on  the  hill.  Her 
life  was  almost  leaving  her,  when,  just  as  the  sun  was 
setting,  he  turned  up  a  lane,  and  went  into  a  little 
house.  She  crawled  up  after  him,  and  when  she  got 
inside  there  was  a  beautiful  little  boy  on  his  knees,  and 
he  kissing  and  hugging  him.  '  Here,  my  poor  darling,' 
says  he,  '  is  your  eldest  child,  and  there,'  says  he, 
pointing  to  a  woman  that  was  looking  on  with  a  smile 
on  her  face,  '  is  the  eagle  that  carried  him  away.'  She 
forgot  all  her  sorrows  in  a  moment,  hugging  her  child, 
and  laughing  and  crying  over  him.  The  woman  washed 
their  feet,  and  rubbed  them  with  an  ointment  that  took 
all  the  soreness  out  of  their  bones,  and  made  them  as 
fresh  as  a  daisy.  Next  morning,  just  before  sunrise, 
he  was  up,  and  prepared  to  be  off.  '  Here,'  said  he  to 
her,  '  is  a  thing  which  may  be  of  use  to  you.  It's  a 
scissors,  and  whatever  stuff  you  cut  with  it  will  be 
turned  into  silk.  The  moment  the  sun  rises,  I'll  lose 
all  memory  of  yourself  and  the  children,  but  I'll  get  it 
at  sunset  again.  Farewell  !  '  But  he  wasn't  far  gone 
till  she  was  in  sight  of  him  again,  leaving  her  boy 
behind.  It  was  the  same  to-day  as  yesterday  :  their 
shadows  went  before  them  in  the  morning  and  followed 


THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY       125 

them  in  the  evening.  He  never  stopped,  and  she  never 
stopped,  and  as  the  sun  was  setting  he  turned  up 
another  lane,  and  there  they  found  their  little  daughter. 
It  was  all  joy  and  comfort  again  till  morning,  and  then 
the  third  day's  journey  commenced. 

But  before  he  started  he  gave  her  a  comb,  and  told 
her  that  whenever  she  used  it,  pearls  and  diamonds 
would  fall  from  her  hair.  Still  he  had  his  memory 
from  sunset  to  sunrise  ;  but  from  sunrise  to  sunset  he 
travelled  on  under  the  charm,  and  never  threw  his  eye 
behind.  This  night  they  came  to  where  the  youngest 
baby  was,  and  the  next  morning,  just  before  sunrise, 
the  prince  "spoke  to  her  for  the  last  time.  '  Here,  my 
poor  wife,'  said  he,  'is  a  little  hand-reel,  with  gold 
thread  that  has  no  end,  and  the  half  of  our  marriage 
ring.  If  you  ever  get  to  my  house,  and  put  your  half-ring 
to  mine,  I  shall  recollect  you.  There  is  a  wood  yonder, 
and  the  moment  I  enter  it  I  shall  forget  everything  that 
ever  happened  between  us,  just  as  if  I  was  born  yester- 
day. Farewell,  dear  wife  and  child,  for  ever  !  '  Just 
then  the  sun  rose,  and  away  he  walked  towards  the  wood. 
She  saw  it  open  before  him  and  close  after  him,  and 
when  she  came  up,  she  could  no  more  get  in  than  she 
could  break  through  a  stone  wall.  She  wrung  her  hands 
and  shed  tears,  but  then  she  recollected  herself,  and 
cried  out,  '  Wood,  I  charge  you  by  my  three  magic  gifts, 
the  scissors,  the  comb,  and  the  reel — to  let  me  through  '  ; 
and  it  opened,  and  she  went  along  a  walk  till  she  came 
in  sight  of  a  palace,  and  a  lawn,  and  a  woodman's 
cottage  on  the  edge  of  the  wood  where  it  came  nearest 
the  palace. 

She  went  into  this  lodge,  and  asked  the  woodman 
and  his  wife  to  take  her  into  their  service.  They  were 
not  willing  at  first ;  but  she  told  them  she  would  ask 
no  wages,  and  would  give  them  diamonds,  and  pearls, 
and  silk  stuffs,  and  gold  thread  whenever  they  wished 
for  them,  and  then  they  agreed  to  let  her  stay. 


126       THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY 

It  wasn't  long  till  she  heard  how  a  young  prince,  that 
was  just  arrived,  was  living  in  the  palace  of  the  young 
mistress.  He  seldom  stirred  abroad,  and  every  one  that 
saw  him  remarked  how  silent  and  sorrowful  he  went 
about,  like  a  person  that  was  searching  for  some  lost 
thing. 

The  servants  and  conceited  folk  at  the  big  house 
began  to  take  notice  of  the  beautiful  young  woman 
at  the  lodge,  and  to  annoy  her  with  their  impudence. 
The  head  footman  was  the  most  troublesome,  and 
At  last  she  invited  him  to  come  and  take  tea  with 
her.  Oh,  how  rejoiced  he  was,  and  how  he  bragged 
of  it  in  the  servants'  hall !  Well,  the  evening  came, 
and  the  footman  walked  into  the  lodge,  and  was  shown 
to  her  sitting-room  ;  for  the  lodge-keeper  and  his  wife 
istood  in  great  awe  of  her,  and  gave  her  two  nice  rooms 
for  herself.  Well,  he  sat  down  as  stiff  as  a  ramrod,  and 
was  talking  in  a  grand  style  about  the  great  doings  at 
the  castle,  while  she  was  getting  the  tea  and  toast 
ready.  '  Oh,'  says  she  to  him,  '  would  you  put  your 
hand  out  at  the  window  and  cut  me  off  a  sprig  or  two 
•of  honeysuckle  ?  '  He  got  up  in  great  glee,  and  put 
out  his  hand  and  head  ;  and  said  she,  '  By  the  virtue 
•of  my  magic  gifts,  let  a  pair  of  horns  spring  out  of  your 
head,  and  sing  to  the  lodge.'  Just  as  she  wished,  so  it 
was.  They  sprung  from  the  front  of  each  ear,  and 
met  at  the  back.  Oh,  the  poor  wretch  !  And  how  he 
Trawled  and  roared  !  and  the  servants  that  he  used 
to  be  boasting  to  were  soon  flocking  from  the  castle, 
^nd  grinning,  and  huzzaing,  and  beating  tunes  on  tongs 
and  shovels  and  pans  ;  and  he  cursing  and  swearing, 
And  the  eyes  ready  to  start  out  of  his  head,  and  he  so 
black  in  the  face,  and  kicking  out  his  legs  behind  like 
mad. 

At  last  she  pitied  him,  and  removed  the  charm, 
And  the  horns  dropped  down  on  the  ground,  and  he 
would  have  killed  her  on  the  spot,  only  he  was  as  weak 


THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY       127 

as  water,  and  his  fellow-servants  came  in  and  carried 
him  up  to  the  big  house. 

Well,  some  way  or  other  the  story  came  to  the  ears 
of  the  prince,  and  he  strolled  down  that  way.  She  had 
only  the  dress  of  a  countrywoman  on  her  as  she  sat 
sewing  at  the  window,  but  that  did  not  hide  her  beauty, 
and  he  was  greatly  puzzled  after  he  had  a  good  look, 
just  as  a  body  is  puzzled  to  know  whether  something 
happened  to  him  when  he  was  young  or  if  he  only 
dreamed  it.  Well,  the  witch's  daughter  heard  about  it 
too,  and  she  came  to  see  the  strange  girl ;  and  what 
did  she  find  her  doing  but  cutting  out  the  pattern  of 
a  gown  from  brown  paper  ;  and  as  she  cut  away,  the 
paper  became  the  richest  silk  she  ever  saw.  The  witch's 
daughter  looked  on  with  greedy  eyes,  and,  says  she, 
'  What  would  you  be  satisfied  to  take  for  that  scissors  ? ' 
'  I'll  take  nothing,'  says  she,  '  but  leave  to  spend  one 
night  outside  the  prince's  chamber.'  Well,  the  proud 
lady  fired  up,  and  was  going  to  say  something  dreadful ; 
but  the  scissors  kept  on  cutting,  and  the  silk  growing 
richer  and  richer  every  inch.  So  she  promised  what 
the  girl  had  asked  her. 

When  night  came  on  she  was  let  into  the  palace  and 
lay  down  till  the  prince  was  in  such  a  dead  sleep  that  all 
she  did  couldn't  awake  him.  She  sung  this  verse  to 
him,  sighing  and  sobbing,  and  kept  singing  it  the  night 
long,  and  it  was  all  in  vain  : 

Four  long  years  I  was  married  to  thee  ; 
Three  sweet  babes  I  bore  to  thee  ; 
Brown  Bear  of  Norway,  turn  to  me. 

At  the  first  dawn  the  proud  lady  was  in  the  chamber, 
and  led  her  away,  and  the  footman  of  the  horns  put 
out  his  tongue  at  her  as  she  was  quitting  the  palace. 

So  there  was  no  luck  so  far  ;  but  the  next  day  the 
prince  passed  by  again  and  looked  at  her,  and  saluted 
her  kindly,  as  a  prince  might  a  farmer's  daughter,  and 


128       THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY 

passed  on  ;  and  soon  the  witch's  daughter  passed  byr 
and  found  her  combing  her  hair,  and  pearls  and  diamonds- 
dropping  from  it. 

Well,  another  bargain  was  made,  and  the  princess 
spent  another  night  of  sorrow,  and  she  left  the  castle  at, 
daybreak,  and  the  footman  was  at  his  post  and  enjoyed 
his  revenge. 

The  third  day  the  prince  went  by,  and  stopped  to 
talk  with  the  strange  woman.  He  asked  her  could  he 
do  anything-  to  serve  her,  and  she  said  he  might.  She 
asked  him  did  he  ever  wake  at  night.  He  said  that  he 
often  did,  but  that  during  the  last  two  nights  he  was 
listening  to  a  sweet  song  in  his  dreams,  and  could  not 
wake,  and  that  the  voice  was  one  that  he  must  have 
known  and  loved  in  some  other  world  long  ago.  Says 
she,  '  Did  you  drink  any  sleepy  posset  either  of  these 
evenings  before  you  went  to  bed  ?  '  'I  did,'  said  he. 
'  The  two  evenings  my  wife  gave  me  something  to  drink, 
but  I  don't  know  whether  it  was  a  sleepy  posset  or  not.' 
'  Well,  prince,'  said  she,  '  as  you  say  you  would  wish 
to  oblige  me,  you  can  do  it  by  not  tasting  any  drink 
to-night.'  '  I  will  not,'  says  he,  and  then  he  went  on 
his  walk. 

Well,  the  great  lady  came  soon  after  the  prince,  and 
found  the-  stranger  using  her  hand-reel  and  winding 
threads  of  gold  off  it,  and  the  third  bargain  was  made. 

That  evening  the  prince  was  lying  on  his  bed  at 
twilight,  and  his  mind  much  disturbed  ;  and  the  door 
opened,  and  in  his  princess  walked,  and  down  she  sat 
by  his  bedside  and  sung  : 

Four  long  years  I  was  married  to  thee  ; 
Three  sweet  babes  I  bore  to  thee  ; 
Brown  Bear  of  Norway,  turn  to  me. 

'  Brown  Bear  of  Norway  !  '  said  he.  '  I  don't 
understand  you.'  '  Don't  you  remember,  prince,  that 
I  was  your  wedded  wife  for  four  years  ?  '  '  I  do  not,' 


out"    IOTKS    <je5>r.5   iu>at> 
-Street"  babes   I  boVe 

,tutritoTT»e.. 


THE  BROWN  BEAR  OF  NORWAY       131 

said  he,  '  but  I'm  sure  I  wish  it  was  so.'  '  Don't  you 
remember  our  three  babes,  that  are  still  alive  ?  '  '  Show 
me  them.  My  mind  is  all  a  heap  of  confusion.'  '  Look 
for  the  half  of  our  marriage  ring,  that  hangs  at  your 
neck,  and  fit  it  to  this.'  He  did  so,  and  the  same 
moment  the  charm  was  broken.  His  full  memory  came 
back  on  him,  and  he  flung  his  arms  round  his  wife's  neck, 
and  both  burst  into  tears. 

Well,  there  was  a  great  cry  outside,  and  the  castle 
walls  were  heard  splitting  and  cracking.  Everyone  in 
the  castle  wras  alarmed,  and  made  their  way  out.  The 
prince  and  princess  went  with  the  rest,  and  by  the  time 
all  were  safe  on  the  lawn,  down  came  the  building,  and 
made  the  ground  tremble  for  miles  round.  No  one  ever 
saw  the  witch  and  her  daughter  afterwards.  It  was  not 
long  till  the  prince  and  princess  had  their  children  with 
them,  and  then  they  set  out  for  their  own  palace.  The 
kings  of  Ireland  and  of  Munster  and  Ulster,  and  their 
wives,  soon  came  to  visit  them,  and  may  every  one  that 
deserves  it  be  as  happy  as  the  Brown  Bear  of  Norway 
and  his  family. 

From  '  West  Highland  Tales.' 


K2 


LITTLE  LA8SE 


THERE  was  once  a  little  boy  whose  name  was  Lars,  and 
because  he  was  so  little  he  was  called  Little  Lasse  ;  he 
was  a  brave  little  man,  for  he  sailed  round  the  world  in 
a  pea-shell  boat. 

It  was  summer  time,  when  the  pea  shells  grew  long 
and  green  in  the  garden.  Little  Lasse  crept  into  the  pea 
bed  where  the  pea  stalks  rose  high  above  his  cap,  and  he 
picked  seventeen  large  shells,  the  longest  and  straightest 
he  could  find. 

Little  Lasse  thought,  perhaps,  that  no  one  saw  him  ; 
but  that  was  foolish,  for  God  sees  everywhere. 

Then  the  gardener  came  with  his  gun  over  his 
shoulder,  and  he  heard  something  rustling  in  the  pea 
bed. 

'  I  think  that  must  be  a  sparrow,'  he  said.  '  Ras  ! 
Ras  ! '  But  no  sparrows  flew  out,  for  Little  Lasse  had 
no  wings,  only  two  small  legs.  '  Wait !  I  will  load  my 
gun  and  shoot  the  sparrows,'  said  the  gardener. 

Then  Little  Lasse  was  frightened,  and  crept  out  on  to 
the  path. 

'  Forgive  me,  dear  gardener  !  '  he  said.  '  I  wanted 
to  get  some  fine  boats.' 

'  Well,  I  will  this  time,'  said  the  gardener.  '  But 
another  time  Little  Lasse  must  ask  leave  to  go  and  look 
for  boats  in  the  pea  bed.' 

'  I  will,'  answered  Lasse  ;  and  he  went  off  to  the 
shore.  Then  he  opened  the  shells  with  a  pin,  split  them 
carefully  in  two,  and  broke  small  little  bits  of  sticks  for 


LITTLE  LASSE  133 

the  rowers'  seats.  Then  he  took  the  peas  which  were 
in  the  shells  and  put  them  in  the  boats  for  cargo.  Some 
of  the  shells  got  broken,  some  remained  whole,  and 
when  all  were  ready  Lasse  had  twelve  boats.  But  they 
should  not  be  boats,  they  should  be  large  warships. 
He  had  three  liners,  three  frigates,  three  brigs  and  three 
schooners.  The  largest  liner  was  called  Hercules,  and 
the  smallest  schooner  The  Flea.  Little  Lasse  put  all 
the  twelve  into  the  water,  and  they  floated  as  splendidly 
and  as  proudly  as  any  great  ship  over  the  waves  of  the 
ocean. 

And  now  the  ships  must  sail  round  the  world.  The 
great  island  over  there  was  Asia  ;  that  large  stone 
Africa  ;  the  little  island  America  ;  the  small  stones  were 
Polynesia  ;  and  the  shore  from  which  the  ships  sailed 
out  was  Europe.  The  whole  fleet  set  off  and  sailed  far 
away  to  other  parts  of  the  world.  The  ships  of  the  line 
steered  a  straight  course  to  Asia,  the  frigates  sailed  to 
Africa,  the  brigs  to  America,  and  the  schooners  to 
Polynesia.  But  Little  Lasse  remained  in  Europe,  and 
threw  small  stones  out  into  the  great  sea. 

Now,  there  was  on  the  shore  of  Europe  a  real  boat, 
father's  own,  a  beautiful  white-painted  boat,  and  Little 
Lasse  got  into  it.  Father  and  mother  had  forbidden 
this,  but  Little  Lasse  forgot.  He  thought  he  should 
very  much  like  to  travel  to  some  other  part  of  the 
world. 

'  I  shall  row  out  a  little  way — only  a  very  little 
way,'  he  thought.  The  pea-shell  boats  had  travelled  so 
far  that  they  only  looked  like  little  specks  on  the  ocean. 
'  I  shall  seize  Hercules  on  the  coast  of  Asia,'  said  Lasse, 
'  and  then  row  home  again  to  Europe.' 

He  shook  the  rope  that  held  the  boat,  and,  strange 
to  say,  the  rope  became  loose.  Ditsch,  ratsch,  a  man  is 
a  man,  and  so  Little  Lasse  manned  the  boat. 

Now  he  would  row — and  he  could  row,  for  he  had 
rowed  so  often  on  the  steps  at  home,  when  the  steps 


134  LITTLE  LASSE 

pretended  to  be  a  boat  and  father's  big  stick  an  oar. 
But  when  Little  Lasse  wanted  to  row  there  were  no  oars 
to  be  found  in  the  boat.  The  oars  were  locked  up  in 
the  boat-house,  and  Little  Lasse  had  not  noticed  that 
the  boat  wras  empty.  It  is  not  so  easy  as  one  thinks  to 
row  to  Asia  without  oars. 

What  could  Little  Lasse  do  now  ?  The  boat  was 
already  some  distance  out  on  the  sea,  and  the  wind, 
which  blew  from  land,  was  driving  it  still  further  out. 
Lasse  was  frightened  and  began  to  cry.  But  there  was 
no  one  on  the  shore  to  hear  him.  Only  a  big  crow 
perched  alone  in  the  birch  tree  ;  and  the  gardener's 
black  cat  sat  under  the  birch  tree,  waiting  to  catch  the 
crow.  Neither  of  them  troubled  themselves  in  the  least 
about  Little  Lasse,  who  was  drifting  out  to  sea. 

Ah  !  how  sorry  Little  Lasse  was  now  that  he  had 
been  disobedient  and  got  into  the  boat,  when  father 
and  mother  had  so  often  forbidden  him  to  do  so  !  Now 
it  was  too  late,  he  could  not  get  back  to  land.  Perhaps 
he  would  be  lost  out  on  the  great  sea.  What  should  he 
do? 

When  he  had  shouted  until  he  was  tired  and  no  one 
heard  him,  he  put  his  two  little  hands  together  and  said, 
'  Good  God,  do  not  be  angry  with  Little  Lasse.'  And 
then  he  went  to  sleep.  For  although  it  was  daylight, 
old  Nukku  Matti  was  sitting  on  the  shores  of  the  '  Land 
of  Nod,'  and  was  fishing  for  little  children  with  his  long 
fishing  rod.  He  heard  the  low  words  which  Little  Lasse 
said  to  God,  and  he  immediately  drew  the  boat  to 
himself  and  laid  Little  Lasse  to  sleep  on  a  bed  of  rose 
leaves. 

Then  Nukku  Matti  said  to  one  of  the  Dreams, 
'  Play  with  Little  Lasse,  so  that  he  does  no.t  feel  lone- 
some.' 

It  was  a  little  dream-boy,  so  little,  so  little,  that  he 
was  less  than  Lasse  himself  ;  he  had  blue  eyes  and  fair 
hair,  a  red  cap  with  a  silver  band,  and  white  coat  with 


LITTLE  LASSE  135 

pearls  on  the  collar.  He  came  to  Little  Lasse  and  said, 
'  Would  you  like  to  sail  round  the  world  ?  ' 

'  Yes,'  said  Lasse  in  his  sleep,  '  I  should  like  to.' 

'  Come,  then,'  said  the  dream-boy,  '  and  let  us  sail 
in  your  pea-shell  boats.  You  shall  sail  in  Hercules  and 
I  shall  sail  in  The  Flea.' 

So  they  sailed  away  from  the  '  Land  of  Nod ,'  and 
in  a  little  while  Hercules  and  The  Flea  were  on  the 
shores  of  Asia  away  at  the  other  end  of  the  world,  where 
the  Ice  Sea  flows  through  Behring  Straits  into  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  A  long  \vay  off  in  the  winter  mist  they 
could  see  the  explorer  Nordenskiold  with  his  ship  Vega 
trying  to  find  an  opening  between  the  ice.  It  was  so 
cold,  so  cold  ;  the  great  icebergs  glittered  strangely,  and 
the  huge  whales  now  lived  under  the  ice,  for  they  could 
not  make  a  hole  through  with  their  awkward  heads. 
All  around  on  the  dreary  shore  there  was  snow  and 
snow  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  ;  little  grey  men  in 
shaggy  skins  moved  about,  and  drove  in  small  sledges 
through  the  snow  drifts,  but  the  sledges  were  drawn  by 
dogs. 

'  Shall  we  land  here  ?  '  asked  the  dream-boy. 

'  No,'  said  Little  Lasse.  '  I  am  so  afraid  that  the 
whales  would  swallow  us  up,  and  the  big  dogs  bite  us. 
Let  us  sail  instead  to  another  part  of  the  world.' 

'  Very  well,'  said  the  dream-boy  with  the  red  cap 
and  the  silver  band  ;  '  it  is  not  far  to  America  ' — and  at 
the  same  moment  they  were  there. 

The  sun  was  shining  and  it  was  very  warm.  Tall 
palm  trees  grew  in  long  rowrs  on  the  shore  and  bore 
coconuts  in  their  top  branches.  Men  red  as  copper 
galloped  over  the  immense  green  prairies  and  shot 
their  arrows  at  the  buffaloes,  who  turned  against  them 
with  their  sharp  horns.  An  enormous  cobra  which  had 
crept  up  the  stem  of  a  tall  palm  tree  threw  itself  on  to 
a  little  llama  that  was  grazing  at  the  foot.  Knaps  1 
it  was  all  over  with  the  little  llama. 


136  LITTLE  LA88E 

'  Shall  we  land  here  ?  '  asked  the  dream-boy. 

'  No,'  said  Little  Lasse.  '  I  am  so  afraid  that  the 
buffaloes  will  butt  us,  and  the  great  serpent  eat  us  up. 
Let  us  travel  to  another  part  of  the  world.' 

'  Very  well,'  said  the  dream-boy  with  the  white  coat, 
*  it  is  only  a  little  way  to  Polynesia  ' — and  then  they 
were  there. 

It  was  very  warm  there,  as  warm  as  in  a  hot  bath  in 
Finland.  Costly  spices  grew  on  the  shores  :  the  pepper 
plant,  the  cinnamon  tree,  ginger,  saffron  ;  the  coffee 
plant  and  the  tea  plant.  Brown  people  with  long  ears 
and  thick  lips,  and  hideously  painted  faces,  hunted  a 
yellow-spotted  tiger  among  the  high  bamboos  on  the 
shore,  and  the  tiger  turned  on  them  and  stuck  its  claws 
into  one  of  the  brown  men.  Then  all  the  others  took  to 
flight. 

'  Shall  we  land  here  ?  '  asked  the  dream-boy. 

'  No,'  said  Little  Lasse.  '  Don't  you  see  the  tiger 
away  there  by  the  pepper  plant  ?  Let  us  travel  to 
another  part  of  the  world.' 

'  We  can  do  so,'  said  the  dream-boy  with  the  blue 
eyes.  '  We  are  not  far  from  Africa  ' — and  as  he  said 
that  they  were  there. 

They  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  a  great  river  where 
the  shores  were  as  green  as  the  greenest  velvet.  A  little 
distance  from  the  river  an  immense  desert  stretched 
away.  The  air  was  yellow  ;  the  sun  shone  so  hot,  so 
hot  as  if  it  would  burn  the  earth  to  ashes,  and  the 
people  were  as  black  as  the  blackest  jet.  They  rode 
across  the  desert  on  tall  camels  ;  the  lions  roared  with 
thirst,  and  the  great  crocodiles  with  their  grey  lizard 
heads  and  sharp  white  teeth  gaped  up  out  of  the 
river. 

'  Shall  we  land  here  ?  '  asked  the  dream-boy. 

'  No,'  said  Little  Lasse.  '  The  sun  would  burn  us, 
and  the  lions  and  the  crocodiles  would  eat  us  up.  Let 
us  travel  to  another  part  of  the  world.' 


LITTLE  LASSE  137 

'  We  can  travel  back  to  Europe,'  said  the  dream-boy 
with  the  fair  hair.  And  with  that  they  were  there. 

They  came  to  a  shore  where  it  was  all  so  cool  and 
familiar  and  friendly.  There  stood  the  tall  birch  tree 
with  its  drooping  leaves  ;  at  the  top  sat  the  old  crow,  and 
at  its  foot  crept  the  gardener's  black  cat.  Not  far  away 
was  a  house  which  Little  Lasse  had  seen  before  ;  near 
the  house  there  was  a  garden,  and  in  the  garden  a  pea 
bed  with  long  pea  shells.  An  old  gardener  with  a  green 
coat  walked  about  and  wondered  if  the  cucumbers  were 
ripe.  Fylax  was  barking  on  the  steps,  and  when  he 
saw  Little  Lasse  he  wagged  his  tail.  Old  Stina  was 
milking  the  cows  in  the  farmyard,  and  there  was  a  very 
familiar  lady  in  a  check  woollen  shawl  on  her  way  to  the 
bleaching  green  to  see  if  the  clothes  were  bleached. 
There  was,  too,  a  well-known  gentleman  in  a  yellow 
summer  coat,  with  a  long  pipe  in  his  mouth  ;  he  was 
going  to  see  if  the  reapers  had  cut  the  rye.  A  boy  and 
a  girl  were  running  on  the  shore  and  calling  out,  '  Little 
Lasse  !  Come  home  for  bread-and-butter  ! ' 

'  Shall  we  land  here  ?  '  asked  the  dream-boy,  and  he 
blinked  his  blue  eyes  roguishly. 

'  Come  with  me,  and  I  shall  ask  mother  to  give  you 
some  bread-and-butter  and  a  glass  of  milk,'  said  Little 
Lasse. 

'  Wait  a  little,'  said  the  dream-boy.  And  now  Little 
Lasse  saw  that  the  kitchen  door  was  open,  and  from 
within  there  was  heard  a  low,  pleasant  frizzling,  like 
that  which  is  heard  when  one  whisks  yellow  batter  with 
a  wooden  ladle  into  a  hot  frying-pan. 

'  Perhaps  we  should  sail  back  to  Polynesia  now  ?  ' 
said  the  happy  dream-boy. 

'  No  ;  they  are  frying  pancakes  in  Europe  just  now,' 
said  Little  Lasse  ;  and  he  wanted  to  jump  ashore,  but 
he  could  not.  The  dream-boy  had  tied  him  writh  a 
chain  of  flowers,  so  that  he  could  not  move.  And  now 
all  the  little  dreams  came  about  him,  thousands  and 


138  LITTLE  LA8SE 

thousands   of   little   children,    and   they   made   a   ring 
around  him  and  sang  a  little  song  : 

The  world  is  very,  very  wide, 

Little  Lasse,  Lasse, 

And  though  you've  sailed  beyond  the  tide, 
You  can  never  tell  how  wide 
It  is  on  the  other  side, 

Lasse,  Little  Lasse. 
You  have  found  it  cold  and  hot, 

Little  Lasse,  Lasse  ; 
But  in  no  land  is  God  not, 

Lasse,  Little  Lasse. 
Many  men  live  there  as  here, 
But  they  all  to  God  arc  dear, 

Little  Lasse,  Lasse. 
When  His  angel  is  your  guide, 

Little  Lasse,  Lasse, 
Then  no  harm  can  e'er  betide, 
Even  on  the  other  side 

Where  the  wild  beasts  wander. 
But  tell  us  now, 

Whene'er  you  roam, 

Do  you  not  find  the  best  is  home 
Of  all  the  lands  you've  looked  upon, 

Lasse,  Little  Lasse  ? 

When  the  dreams  had  sung  their  song  they  skipped 
away,  and  Nukku  Matti  carried  Lasse  back  to  the  boat. 
He  lay  there  for  a  long  time  quite  still,  and  he  still  heard 
the  frying-pan  frizzling  at  home  on  the  fire,  the  frizzling 
was  very  plain,  Little  Lasse  heard  it  quite  near  him  ; 
and  so  he  woke  up  and  rubbed  his  eyes. 

There  he  lay  in  the  boat,  where  he  had  fallen  asleep. 
The  wind  had  turned,  and  the  boat  had  drifted  out  with 
one  wind  and  drifted  in  with  another  while  Little  Lasse 
slept,  and  what  Lasse  thought  was  frizzling  in  a  frying- 
pan  was  the  low  murmur  of  the  waves  as  they  washed 
against  the  stones  on  the  shore.  But  he  was  not 
altogether  wrong,  for  the  clear  blue  sea  is  like  a  great 
pan  in  which  God's  sun  all  day  makes  cakes  for  good 
children. 


LITTLE  LA8SE  139 

Little  Lasse  rubbed  the  sleep  out  of  his  eyes  and 
looked  around  him.  Everything  was  the  same  as 
before  ;  the  crow  in  the  birch  tree,  the  cat  on  the  grass, 
and  the  pea-shell  fleet  on  the  shore.  Some  of  the  ships 
had  foundered,  and  some  had  drifted  back  to  land. 
Hercules  had  come  back  with  its  cargo  from  Asia,  The 
Flea  had  arrived  from  Polynesia,  and  the  other  parts  of 
the  world  were  just  where  they  were  before. 

Little  Lasse  did  not  know  what  to  think.  He  had 
so  often  been  in  that  grotto  in  the  '  Land  of  Nod  '  and 
did  not  know  what  tricks  dreams  can  play.  But  Little 
Lasse  did  not  trouble  his  head  with  such  things  ;  he 
gathered  together  his  boats  and  walked  up  the  shore 
back  to  the  house. 

His  brother  and  sister  ran  to  meet  him,  and  called 
out  from  the  distance,  '  Where  have  you  been  so  long, 
Lasse  ?  Come  home  and  get  some  bread-and-butter.' 
The  kitchen  door  stood  open,  and  inside  was  heard  a 
strange  frizzling. 

The  gardener  was  near  the  gate,  watering  the  dill 
and  parsley,  the  carrots  and  parsnips. 

'  Well,'  he  said,  '  where  has  Little  Lasse  been  so 
long  ?  ' 

Little  Lasse  straightened  himself  up  stiff,  and 
answered  :  '  I  have  sailed  round  the  world  in  a  pea-shell 
boat.' 

'  Oh  !  '  said  the  gardener. 

He  had  forgotten  Dreamland.  But  you  have  not 
forgotten  it ;  you  know  that  it  exists.  You  know  the 
beautiful  grotto  and  the  bright  silver  walls  whose  lustre 
never  fades,  the  sparkling  diamonds  which  never  grow 
dim,  the  music  which  never  ceases  its  low,  soft  murmur 
through  the  sweet  evening  twilight.  The  airy  fairy 
fancies  of  happy  Dreamland  never  grow  old  ;  they,  like 
the  glorious  stars  above  us,  are  always  young.  Perhaps 
you  have  caught  a  glimpse  of  their  ethereal  wings  as 
they  flew  around  your  pillow.  Perhaps  you  have  met 


140  LITTLE  LAS8E 

the  same  dream-boy  with  the  blue  eyes  and  the  fair 
hair,  the  one  who  wore  the  red  cap  with  the  silver  band 
and  the  wrhite  coat  with  pearls  on  the  collar.  Perhaps 
he  has  taken  you  to  see  all  the  countries  of  the  world 
and  the  peoples,  the  cold  waste  lands  and  the  burning 
deserts,  the  many  coloured  men  and  the  wild  creatures 
in  the  sea  and  in  the  wroods,  so  that  you  may  learn  many 
things,  but  come  gladly  home  again.  Yes,  who  knows  ? 
Perhaps  you  also  have  sailed  round  the  wide  world  once 
in  a  pea-shell  boat. 

From  Z.  Topelius. 


MOT  I 


ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  youth  called  Moti,  who 
was  very  big  and  strong,  but  the  clumsiest  creature  you 
can  imagine.  So  clumsy  was  he  that  he  was  always 
putting  his  great  feet  into  the  bowls  of  sweet  milk  or 
curds  which  his  mother  set  out  on  the  floor  to  cool, 
always  smashing,  upsetting,  breaking,  until  at  last  his 
father  said  to  him  : 

'  Here,  Moti,  are  fifty  silver  pieces  which  are  the 
savings  of  years  :  take  them  and  go  and  make  your 
living  or  your  fortune  if  you  can.' 

Then  Moti  started  off  one  early  spring  morning  with 
his  thick  staff  over  his  shoulder,  singing  gaily  to  himself 
as  he  walked  along. 

In  one  way  and  another  he  got  along  very  well  until 
a  hot  evening  when  he  came  to  a  certain  city  where  he 
entered  the  travellers'  '  serai '  or  inn  to  pass  the  night. 
Now  a  serai,  you  must  know,  is  generally  just  a  large 
square  enclosed  by  a  high  wall  with  an  open  colonnade 
along  the  inside  all  round  to  accommodate  both  men  and 
beasts,  and  with  perhaps  a  few  rooms  in  towers  at  the 
corners  for  those  who  are  too  rich  or  too  proud  to  care 
about  sleeping  by  their  own  camels  and  horses.  Moti, 
of  course,  was  a  country  lad  and  had  lived  with  cattle 
all  his  life,  and  he  wasn't  rich  and  he  wasn't  proud,  so 
he  just  borrowed  a  bed  from  the  innkeeper,  set  it  down 
beside  an  old  buffalo  who  reminded  him  of  home,  and 
in  five  minutes  was  fast  asleep. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  he  woke,  feeling  that  he 


142  '  MOTI ' 

had  been  disturbed,  and  putting  his  hand  under  his 
pillow  found  to  his  horror  that  his  bag  of  money  had  been 
stolen.  He  jumped  up  quietly  and  began  to  prowl 
around  to  see  whether  anyone  seemed  to  be  awake, 
but,  though  he  managed  to  arouse  a  few  men  and 
beasts  by  falling  over  them,  he  walked  in  the  shadow 
of  the  archways  round  the  whole  serai  without  coming 
across  a  likely  thief.  He  was  just  about  to  give  it  up 
when  he  overheard  two  men  whispering,  and  one  laughed 
softly,  and,  peering  behind  a  pillar,  he  saw  two  Afghan 
horsedealers  counting  out  his  bag  of  money  !  Then 
Moti  went  back  to  bed  ! 

In  the  morning  Moti  followed  the  two  Afghans 
outside  the  city  to  the  horsemarket  in  which  their 
horses  were  offered  for  sale.  Choosing  the  best-looking 
horse  amongst  them  he  went  up  to  it  and  said  : 

'  Is  this  horse  for  sale  ?  may  I  try  it  ?  '  and,  the 
merchants  assenting,  he  scrambled  up  on  its  back,  dug 
in  his  heels,  and  off  they  flew.  Now  Moti  had  never 
been  on  a  horse  in  his  life,  and  had  so  much  ado  to  hold 
on  with  both  hands  as  well  as  with  both  legs  that  the 
animal  went  just  where  it  liked,  and  very  soon  broke 
into  a  break-neck  gallop  and  made  straight  back  to  the 
serai  where  it  had  spent  the  last  few  nights. 

'  This  will  do  very  well,'  thought  Moti  as  they  whirled 
in  at  the  entrance.  As  soon  as  the  horse  had  arrived 
at  its  stable  it  stopped  of  its  own  accord  and  Moti 
immediately  rolled  off ;  but  he  jumped  up  at  once,  tied 
the  beast  up,  and  called  for  some  breakfast.  Presently 
the  Afghans  appeared,  out  of  breath  and  furious,  and 
claimed  the  horse. 

'  What  do  you  mean  ?  '  cried  Moti,  with  his  mouth 
full  of  rice,  '  it's  my  horse  ;  I  paid  you  fifty  pieces  of 
silver  for  it — quite  a  bargain,  I'm  sure  !  ' 

'  Nonsense  !  it  is  cur  horse,'  answered  one  of  the 
Afghans,  beginning  to  untie  the  bridle. 

'  Leave  off,'  shouted  Moti,  seizing  his  staff ;  '  if  you 


*  MOT  I '  143 

don't  let  my  horse  alone  I'll  crack  your  skulls  !  you 
thieves  !  /  know  you  !  Last  night  you  took  my  money, 
so  to-day  I  took  your  horse  ;  that's  fair  enough  ! ' 

Now  the  Afghans  began  to  look  a  little  uncomfortable, 
but  Moti  seemed  so  determined  to  keep  the  horse  that 
they  resolved  to  appeal  to  the  law,  so  they  went  off 
and  laid  a  complaint  before  the  king  that  Moti  had 
stolen  one  of  their  horses  and  would  not  give  it  up  nor 
pay  for  it. 

Presently  a  soldier  came  to  summon  Moti  to  the  king  ; 
and,  when  he  arrived  and  made  his  obeisance,  the  king 
began  to  question  him  as  to  why  he  had  galloped  off 
with  the  horse  in  this  fashion.  But  Moti  declared  that 
he  had  got  the  animal  in  exchange  for  fifty  pieces  of 
silver,  whilst  the  horse  merchants  vowed  that  the  money 
they  had  on  them  was  what  they  had  received  for  the 
sale  of  other  horses  ;  and  in  one  way  and  another  the 
dispute  got  so  confusing  that  the  king  (who  really 
thought  that  Moti  had  stolen  the  horse)  said  at  last, 
'  Well,  I  tell  you  what  I  will  do.  I  will  lock  something 
into  this  box  before  me,  and  if  he  guesses  what  it  is, 
the  horse  is  his,  and  if  he  doesn't,  then  it  is  yours.' 

To  this  Moti  agreed,  and  the  king  arose  and  went 
out  alone  by  a  little  door  at  the  back  of  the  Court,  and 
presently  came  back  clasping  something  closely  wrapped 
up  in  a  cloth  under  his  robe,  slipped  it  into  the  little  box, 
locked  the  box,  and  set  it  up  where  all  might  see. 

'  Now,'  said  the  king  to  Moti,  '  guess  ! ' 

It  happened  that  when  the  king  had  opened  the 
door  behind  him,  Moti  noticed  that  there  was  a  garden 
outside  :  without  waiting  for  the  king's  return  he  began 
to  think  what  could  be  got  out  of  the  garden  small 
enough  to  be  shut  in  the  box.  'Is  it  likely  to  be  a 
fruit  or  a  flower  ?  No,  not  a  flower  this  time,  for  he 
clasped  it  too  tight.  Then  it  must  be  a  fruit  or  a  stone. 
Yet  not  a  stone,  because  he  wouldn't  wrap  a  dirty  stone 
in  his  nice  clean  cloth.  Then  it  is  a  fruit !  And  a  fruit 


144  '  MOT  I ' 

without  much  scent,  or  else  he  would  be  afraid  that  I 
might  smell  it.  Now  what  fruit  without  much  scent 
is  in  season  just  now  ?  When  I  know  that  I  shall  have 
guessed  the  riddle  !  ' 

As  has  been  said  before,  Moti  was  a  country  lad,  and 
was  accustomed  to  work  in  his  father's  garden.  He  knew 
all  the  common  fruits,  so  he  thought  he  ought  to  be  able 
to  guess  right ;  but  so  as  not  to  let  it  seem  too  easy,  he 
gazed  up  at  the  ceiling  with  a  puzzled  expression,  and 
looked  down  at  the  floor  with  an  air  of  wisdom  and  his 
fingers  pressed  against  his  forehead,  and  then  he  said, 
slowly,  with  his  eyes  on  the  king, — 

'  It  is  freshly  plucked  !  it  is  round  and  it  is  red  !  it  is 
a  pomegranate  ! ' 

Now  the  king  knew  nothing  about  fruits  except 
that  they  were  good  to  eat ;  and,  as  for  seasons,  he  asked 
for  whatever  fruit  he  wanted  whenever  he  wanted  it, 
and  saw  that  he  got  it ;  so  to  him  Moti's  guess  was  like 
a  miracle,  and  clear  proof  not  only  of  his  wisdom  but 
of  his  innocence,  for  it  was  a  pomegranate  that  he  had 
put  into  the  box.  Of  course  when  the  king  marvelled 
and  praised  Moti's  wisdom,  everybody  else  did  so  too  ; 
and,  whilst  the  Afghans  went  off  crestfallen,  Moti  took 
the  horse  and  entered  the  king's  service. 

Very  soon  after  this,  Moti.  who  continued  to  live  in  the 
serai,  came  back  one  wet  and  stormy  evening  to  find 
that  his  precious  horse  had  strayed.  Nothing  remained 
of  him  but  a  broken  halter  cord,  and  no  one  knew  what 
had  become  of  him.  After  inquiring  of  everyone  who 
was  likely  to  know,  Moti  seized  the  cord  and  his  big 
staff  and  sallied  out  to  look  for  him.  Away  and  away 
he  tramped  out  of  the  city  and  into  the  neighbouring 
forest,  tracking  hoof-marks  in  the  mud.  Presently  it 
grew  late,  but  still  Moti  wandered  on  until  suddenly  in 
the  gathering  darkness  he  came  right  upon  a  tiger  who 
was  contentedly  eating  his  horse. 

'You  thief!  '  shrieked  Moti,  and  ran  up,  and,  just 


'  MOTI '  145 

as  the  tiger,  in  astonishment,  dropped  a  bone — whack  ! 
came  Moti's  staff  on  his  head  with  such  good  will  that 
the  beast  was  half  stunned  and  could  hardly  breathe 
or  see.  Then  Moti  continued  to  shower  upon  him  blows 
and  abuse  until  the  poor  tiger  could  hardly  stand, 
whereupon  his  tormentor  tied  the  end  of  the  broken 
halter  round  his  neck  and  dragged  him  back  to  the 
serai. 

'  If  you  had  my  horse,'  he  said,  '  I  will  at  least  have 
you,  that's  fair  enough  !  '  And  he  tied  him  up  securely 
by  the  head  and  heels,  much  as  he  used  to  tie  the  horse  ; 
then,  the  night  being  far  gone,  he  flung  himself  beside 
him  and  slept  soundly. 

You  cannot  imagine  anything  like  the  fright  of  the 
people  in  the  serai,  when  they  woke  up  and  found  a 
tiger — very  battered  but  still  a  tiger — securely  tethered 
amongst  themselves  and  their  beasts  !  Men  gathered 
in  groups  talking  and  exclaiming,  and  finding  fault  with 
the  innkeeper  for  allowing  such  a  dangerous  beast  into 
the  serai,  and  all  the  while  the  innkeeper  was  just  as 
troubled  as  the  rest,  and  none  dared  go  near  the  place 
where  the  tiger  stood  blinking  miserably  on  everyone, 
and  where  Moti  lay  stretched  out  snoring  like  thunder. 

At  last  news  reached  the  king  that  Moti  had  exchanged 
his  horse  for  a  live  tiger  ;  and  the  monarch  himself 
came  down,  half  disbelieving  the  tale,  to  see  if  it  were 
really  true.  Someone  at  last  awaked  Moti  with  the  news 
that  his  royal  master  was  come  ;  and  he  arose  yawning, 
and  was  soon  delightedly  explaining  and  showing  off 
his  new  possession.  The  king,  however,  did  not  share 
his  pleasure  at  all,  but  called  up  a  soldier  to  shoot  the 
tiger,  much  to  the  relief  of  all  the  inmates  of  the  serai 
except  Moti.  If  the  king,  however,  was  before  convinced 
that  Moti  was  one  of  the  wisest  of  men,  he  was  now 
still  more  convinced  that  he  was  the  bravest,  and  he 
increased  his  pay  a  hundredfold,  so  that  our  hero 
thought  that  he  was  the  luckiest  of  men. 

L.  L 


146 

A  week  or  two  after  this  incident  the  king  sent  for 
Moti,  who  on  arrival  found  his  master  in  despair.     A 


neighbouring  monarch,  he  explained,  who  had  many 
more  soldiers  than  he,  had  declared  war  against  him, 
and  he  was  at  his  wits'  end,  for  he  had  neither  money  to 


*  MOT  I '  147 

buy  him  off  nor  soldiers  enough  to  fight  him — what  was 
he  to  do  ? 

'  If  that  is  all,  don't  you  trouble,'  said  Moti.  '  Turn 
out  your  men,  and  I'll  go  with  them,  and  we'll  soon 
bring  this  robber  to  reason.' 

The  king  began  to  revive  at  these  hopeful  words,  and 
took  Moti  off  to  his  stable  where  he  bade  him  choose  for 
himself  any  horse  he  liked.  There  were  plenty  of  fine 
horses  in  the  stalls,  but  to  the  king's  astonishment  Moti 
chose  a  poor  little  rat  of  a  pony  that  was  used  to  carry 
grass  and  water  for  the  rest  of  the  stable. 

'  But  why  do  you  choose  that  beast  ?  '  said  the 
king. 

'  Well,  you  see,  your  majesty,'  replied  Moti,  '  there 
are  so  many  chances  that  I  may  fall  off,  and  if  I  choose 
one  of  your  fine  big  horses  I  shall  have  so  far  to  fall  that 
I  shall  probably  break  my  leg  or  my  arm,  if  not  my 
neck,  but  if  I  fall  off  this  little  beast  I  can't  hurt  myself 
much.' 

A  very  comical  sight  was  Moti  when  he  rode  out  to 
the  war.  The  only  weapon  he  carried  was  his  staff, 
and  to  help  him  to  keep  his  balance  on  horseback  he  had 
tied  to  each  of  his  ankles  a  big  stone  that  nearly  touched 
the  ground  as  he  sat  astride  the  little  pony.  The  rest  of 
the  king's  cavalry  were  not  very  numerous,  but  they 
pranced  along  in  armour  on  fine  horses.  Behind  them 
came  a  great  rabble  of  men  on  foot  armed  with  all  sorts 
of  weapons,  and  last  of  all  was  the  king  with  his  atten- 
dants, very  nervous  and  ill  at  ease.  So  the  army  started. 

They  had  not  very  far  to  go,  but  Moti's  little  pony, 
weighted  with  a  heavy  man  and  two  big  rocks,  soon 
began  to  lag  behind  the  cavalry,  and  would  have  lagged 
behind  the  infantry  too,  only  they  were  not  very  anxious 
to  be  too  early  in  the  fight,  and  hung  back  so  as  to 
give  Moti  plenty  of  time.  The  young  man  jogged  along 
more  and  more  slowly  for  some  time,  until  at  last, 
getting  impatient  at  the  slowness  of  the  pony,  he  gave 

L2 


148  '  MOT  I ' 

him  such  a  tremendous  thwack  with  his  staff  that  the 
pony  completely  lost  his  temper  and  bolted.  First  one 
stone  became  untied  and  rolled  away  in  a  cloud  of  dust 
to  one  side  of  the  road,  whilst  Mod  nearly  rolled  off  too, 
but  clasped  his  steed  valiantly  by  its  ragged  mane,  and, 
dropping  his  staff,  held  on  for  dear  life.  Then  fortu- 
nately the  other  rock  broke  away  from  his  other  leg 
and  rolled  thunderously  down  a  neighbouring  ravine. 
Meanwhile  the  advanced  cavalry  had  barely  time  to 
draw  to  one  side  when  Moti  came  dashing  by,  yelling 
bloodthirsty  threats  to  his  pony  : 

'  You  wait  till  I  get  hold  of  you  !  I'll  skin  you  alive  ! 
I'll  wring  your  neck  !  I'll  break  every  bone  in  your 
body  ! '  The  cavalry  thought  that  this  dreadful  lan- 
guage was  meant  for  the  enemy,  and  were  filled  with 
admiration  of  his  courage.  Many  of  their  horses  too  were 
quite  upset  by  this  whirlwind  that  galloped  howling 
through  their  midst,  and  in  a  few  minutes,  after  a  little 
plunging  and  rearing  and  kicking,  the  whole  troop  were 
following  on  Moti's  heels. 

Far  in  advance,  Moti  continued  his  wild  career. 
Presently  in  his  course  he  came  to  a  great  field  of  castor- 
oil  plants,  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  big  and  bushy,  but 
quite  green  and  soft.  Hoping  to  escape  from  the  back 
of  his  fiery  steed  Moti  grasped  one  in  passing,  but  its 
roots  gave  way,  and  he  dashed  on,  with  the  whole 
plant  looking  like  a  young  tree  flourishing  in  his  grip. 

The  enemy  were  in  battle  array,  advancing  over  the 
plain,  their  king  with  them  confident  and  cheerful,  when 
suddenly  from  the  front  came  a  desperate  rider  at  a 
furious  gallop. 

'  Sire  ! '  he  cried,  '  save  yourself  !  the  enemy  are 
coming  ! ' 

'  What  do  you  mean  ?  '  said  the  king. 

'  Oh,  sire  !  '  panted  the  messenger,  '  fly  at  once,  there 
is  no  time  to  lose.  Foremost  of  the  enemy  rides  a  mad 
giant  at  a  furious  gallop.  He  flourishes  a  tree  for  a  club 


'  MOT  I '  149 

-and  is  wild  with  anger,  for  as  he  goes  he  ories,  "  You 
wait  till  I  get  hold  of  you  !  I'll  skin  you  alive  !  I'll 
wring  your  neck  !  I'll  break  every  bone  in  your  body !  " 
Others  ride  behind,  and  you  will  do  well  to  retire  before 
this  whirlwind  of  destruction  comes  upon  you.' 

Just  then  out  of  a  cloud  of  dust  in  the  distance  the 
king  saw  Moti  approaching  at  a  hard  gallop,  looking 
indeed  like  a  giant  compared  with  the  little  beast  he  rode, 
whirling  his  castor-oil  plant,  which  in  the  distance  might 
have  been  an  oak  tree,  and  the  sound  of  his  revilings  and 
shoutings  came  down  upon  the  breeze  !  Behind  him 
the  dust  cloud  moved  to  the  sound  of  the  thunder  of 
hoofs,  whilst  here  and  there  flashed  the  glitter  of  steel. 
The  sight  and  the  sound  struck  terror  into  the  king, 
and,  turning  his  horse,  he  fled  at  top  speed,  thinking  that 
a  regiment  of  yelling  giants  was  upon  him  ;  and  all 
his  force  followed  him  as  fast  as  they  might  go.  One  fat 
officer  alone  could  not  keep  up  on  foot  with  that  mad 
rush,  and  as  Moti  came  galloping  up  he  flung  himself  on 
the  ground  in  abject  fear.  This  was  too  much  for 
Moti's  excited  pony,  who  shied  so  suddenly  that  Moti 
went  flying  over  his  head  like  a  sky  rocket,  and  alighted 
right  on  the  top  of  his  fat  foe. 

Quickly  regaining  his  feet  Moti  began  to  swing  his 
plant  round  his  head  and  to  shout  : 

'  Where  are  your  men  ?  Bring  them  up  and  I'll 
kill  them.  My  regiments  !  Come  on,  the  whole  lot  of 
you  !  Where's  your  king  ?  Bring  him  to  me.  Here 
are  all  my  fine  fellows  coming  up  and  we'll  each  pull 
up  a  tree  by  the  roots  and  lay  you  all  flat  and  your 
houses  and  towns  and  everything  else  !  Come  on  !  ' 

But  the  poor  fat  officer  could  do  nothing  but  squat 
on  his  knees  with  his  hands  together,  gasping.  At  last, 
when  he  got  his  breath,  Moti  sent  him  off  to  bring  his 
king,  and  to  tell  him  that  if  he  was  reasonable  his 
life  should  be  spared.  Off  the  poor  man  went,  and  by 
the  time  the  troops  of  Moti's  side  had  come  up  and 


150  '  MOTI ' 

arranged  themselves  to  look  as  formidable  as  possible, 
he  returned  with  his  king.  The  latter  was  very  humble 
and  apologetic,  and  promised  never  to  make  wrar  any 
more,  to  pay  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  altogether  do 
whatever  his  conqueror  wished. 

So  the  armies  on  both  sides  went  rejoicing  home, 
and  this  was  really  the  making  of  the  fortune  of  clumsy 
Moti,  who  lived  long  and  contrived  always  to  be  looked 
up  to  as  a  fountain  of  wisdom,  valour,  and  discretion  by 
all  except  his  relations,  who  could  never  understand 
what  he  had  done  to  be  considered  so  much  wiser  than 
anyone  else. 

A  Pushto  Story. 


THE  ENCHANTED   DEER 

A  YOUNG  man  was  out  walking  one  day  in  Erin,  leading 
a  stout  cart-horse  by  the  bridle.  He  was  thinking  of  his 
mother  and  how  poor  they  were  since  his  father,  who 
was  a  fisherman,  had  been  drowned  at  sea,  and  wondering 
what  he  should  do  to  earn  a  living  for  both  of  them. 
Suddenly  a  hand  was  laid  on  his  shoulder,  and  a  voice 
said  to  him  : 

'  Will  you  sell  me  your  horse,  son  of  the  fisherman  ?  ' 
and  looking  up  he  beheld  a  man  standing  in  the  road 
with  a  gun  in  his  hand,  a  falcon  on  his  shoulder,  and  a 
dog  by  his  side. 

'  What  will  you  give  me  for  my  horse  ?  '  asked  the 
youth.  '  Will  you  give  me  your  gun,  and  your  dog,  and 
your  falcon  ?  ' 

'  I  will  give  them,'  answered  the  man,  and  he  took 
the  horse,  and  the  youth  took  the  gun  and  the  dog  and 
the  falcon,  and  went  home  with  them.  But  when  his 
mother  heard  what  he  had  done  she  was  very  angry, 
and  beat  him  with  a  stick  which  she  had  in  her  hand. 

'  That  will  teach  you  to  sell  my  property,'  said  she, 
when  her  arm  was  quite  tired,  but  Ian  her  son  answered 
her  nothing,  and  went  off  to  his  bed,  for  he  was  very  sore. 

That  night  he  rose  softly,  and  left  the  house  carrying 
the  gun  with  him.  '  I  will  not  stay  here  to  be  beaten,' 
thought  he,  and  he  walked  and  he  walked  and  he  walked, 
till  it  was  day  again,  and  he  was  hungry  and  looked  about 
him  to  see  if  he  could  get  anything  to  eat.  Not  very  far 
off  was  a  farm-house,  so  he  went  there,  and  knocked  at 


152 


THE  ENCHANTED  DEER 


the  door,  and  the  farmer  and  his  wife  begged  him  to 
come  in,  and  share  their  breakfast. 

'  Ah,  you  have  a  gun,'  said  the  farmer  as  the  young 


INSTEAD  OF  A  DEER  A  WOMAN  VO>T*\.  J.ONC,  BUACK.   HA\K  WAS  STAN B»NC,  THERE 


man  placed  it  in  a  corner.  '  That  is  well,  for  a  deer  comes 
every  evening  to  eat  my  corn,  and  I  cannot  catch  it.  It 
is  fortune  that  has  sent  you  to  me.' 


THE  ENCHANTED  DEER  153 

'  I  will  gladly  remain  and  shoot  the  deer  for  you,' 
replied  the  youth,  and  that  night  he  hid  himself  and 
watched  till  the  deer  came  to  the  cornfield  ;  then  he 
lifted  his  gun  to  his  shoulder  and  was  just  going  to  pull 
the  trigger,  when,  behold  !  instead  of  a  deer,  a  woman 
with  long  black  hair  was  standing  there.  At  this 
sight  his  gun  almost  dropped  from  his  hand  in  surprise, 
but  as  he  looked,  there  was  the  deer  eating  the  corn 
again.  And  thrice  this  happened,  till  the  deer  ran  away 
over  the  moor,  and  the  young  man  after  her. 

On  they  went,  on  and  on  and  on,  till  they  reached  a 
cottage  which  was  thatched  with  heather.  With  a  bound 
the  deer  sprang  on  the  roof,  and  lay  down  where  none 
could  see  her,  but  as  she  did  so  she  called  out,  '  Go  in, 
fisher's  son,  and  eat  and  drink  while  you  may.'  So  he 
entered  and  found  food  and  wine  on  the  table,  but  no 
man,  for  the  house  belonged  to  some  robbers,  who  were 
still  away  at  their  wicked  business. 

After  Ian,  the  fisher's  son,  had  eaten  all  he  wanted, 
he  hid  himself  behind  a  great  cask,  and  very  soon  he 
heard  a  noise,  as  of  men  coming  through  the  heather, 
and  the  small  twigs  snapping  under  their  feet.  From 
his  dark  corner  he  could  see  into  the  room,  and  he 
counted  four  and  twenty  of  them,  all  big,  cross-looking 
men. 

'  Some  one  has  been  eating  our  dinner,'  cried  they, 
4  and  there  was  hardly  enough  for  ourselves.' 

'  It  is  the  man  who  is  lying  under  the  cask,'  answered 
the  leader.  '  Go  and  kill  him,  and  then  come  and  eat 
your  food  and  sleep,  for  we  must  be  off  betimes  in  the 
morning.' 

So  four  of  them  killed  the  fisher's  son  and  left  him, 
and  then  went  to  bed. 

By  sunrise  they  were  all  out  of  the  house,  for  they 
had  far  to  go.  And  when  they  had  disappeared  the  deer 
came  off  the  roof,  to  where  the  dead  man  lay,  and  she 


154  THE  ENCHANTED   DEER 

shook  her  head  over  him,  and  wax  fell  from  her  ear,  and 
he  jumped  up  as  well  as  ever. 

'  Trust  me  and  eat  as  you  did  before,  and  no  harm 
shall  happen  to  you,'  said  she.  So  Ian  ate  and  drank,  and 
fell  sound  asleep  under  the  cask.  In  the  evening  the 
robbers  arrived  very  tired,  and  crosser  than  they  had 
been  yesterday,  for  their  luck  had  turned  and  they 
had  brought  back  scarcely  anything. 

'  Someone  has  eaten  our  dinner  again,'  cried 
they. 

'  It  is  the  man  under  the  barrel,'  answered  the 
captain.  '  Let  four  of  you  go  and  kill  him,  but  first 
slay  the  other  four  who  pretended  to  kill  him  last  night 
and  didn't,  because  he  is  still  alive.' 

Then  Ian  was  killed  a  second  time,  and  after  the  rest 
of  the  robbers  had  eaten,  they  lay  down  and  slept  till 
morning. 

No  sooner  were  their  faces  touched  with  the  sun's 
rays  than  they  wrere  up  and  off.  Then  the  deer  entered 
and  dropped  the  healing  wax  on  the  dead  man,  and  he 
was  as  well  as  ever.  By  this  time  he  did  not  mind  what 
befall  him,  so  sure  was  he  that  the  deer  would  take  care 
of  him,  and  in  the  evening  that  which  had  happened 
before  happened  again — the  four  robbers  were  put  to 
death  and  the  fisher's  son  also,  but  because  there  was 
no  food  left  for  them  to  eat,  they  were  nearly  mad  with 
rage,  and  began  to  quarrel.  From  quarrelling  they 
went  on  to  fighting,  and  fought  so  hard  that  by  and  bye 
they  were  all  stretched  dead  on  the  floor. 

Then  the  deer  entered,  and  the  fisher's  son  was 
restored  to  life,  and  bidding  him  follow  her,  she  ran 
on  to  a  little  white  cottage  where  dwelt  an  old  woman 
and  her  son,  who  was  thin  and  dark. 

'  Here  I  must  leave  you,'  said  the  deer,  '  but  to- 
morrow meet  me  at  midday  in  the  church  that  is  yonder.' 
And  jumping  across  the  stream,  she  vanished  into  a 
wood. 


THE  ENCHANTED  DEER 


155 


Next  day  he  set  out  for  the  church,  but  the  old 
woman  of  the  cottage  had  gone  before  him,  and  had 
stuck  an  enchanted  stick  called  '  the  spike  of  hurt '  in  a 


156  THE  ENCHANTED  DEER 

crack  of  the  door,  so  that  he  would  brush  against  it  as 
he  stepped  across  the  threshold.  Suddenly  he  felt  so 
sleepy  that  he  could  not  stand  up,  and  throwing  himself 
on  the  ground  he  sank  into  a  deep  slumber,  not  knowing 
that  the  dark  lad  was  watching  him.  Nothing  could 
waken  him,  not  even  the  sound  of  sweetest  music,  nor 
the  touch  of  a  lady  who  bent  over  him.  A  sad  look  came 
on  her  face,  as  she  saw  it  was  no  use,  and  at  last  she  gave 
it  up,  and  lifting  his  arm,  wrote  her  name  across  his 
side — '  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  the  town  under  the 
waves.' 

'  I  will  come  to-morrow,'  she  whispered,  though  he 
could  not  hear  her,  and  she  went  sorrowfully  away. 

Then  he  awoke,  and  the  dark  lad  told  him  what  had 
befallen  him,  and  he  was  very  grieved.  But  the  dark 
lad  did  not  tell  him  of  the  name  that  was  written  under- 
neath his  arm. 

On  the  following  morning  the  fisher's  son  again 
went  to  the  church,  determined  that  he  would  not  go 
to  sleep,  whatever  happened.  But  in  his  hurry  to  enter 
he  touched  with  his  hand  the  spike  of  hurt,  and  sank 
down  where  he  stood,  wrapped  in  slumber.  A  second 
time  the  air  was  filled  with  music,  and  the  lady  came  in, 
stepping  softly,  but  though  she  laid  his  head  on  her 
knee,  and  combed  his  hair  with  a  golden  comb,  his  eyes 
opened  not.  Then  she  burst  into  tears,  and  placing 
a  beautifully  wrought  box  in  his  pocket  she  went  her 
way. 

The  next  day  the  same  thing  befell  the  fisher's  son, 
and  this  time  the  lady  wept  more  bitterly  than  before, 
for  she  said  it  was  the  last  chance,  and  she  would  never 
be  allowed  to  come  any  more,  for  home  she  must  go. 

As  soon  as  the  lady  had  departed  the  fisher's  son 
awoke,  and  the  dark  lad  told  him  of  her  visit,  and 
how  he  would  never  see  her  as  long  as  he  lived.  At 
this  the  fisher's  son  felt  the  cold  creeping  up  to  his 


THE  ENCHANTED  DEER  157 

heart,  yet  he  knew  the  fault  had  not  been  his  that  sleep 
had  overtaken  him. 

'  I  will  search  the  whole  world  through  till  I  find 
her,'  cried  he,  and  the  dark  lad  laughed  as  he  heard  him. 
But  the  fisher's  son  took  no  heed,  and  off  he  went, 
following  the  sun  day  after  day,  till  his  shoes  were  in 
holes  and  his  feet  were  sore  from  the  journey.  Nought 
did  he  see  but  the  birds  that  made  their  nests  in  the 
trees,  not  so  much  as  a  goat  or  a  rabbit.  On  and  on 
and  on  he  went,  till  suddenly  he  came  upon  a  little 
house,  with  a  woman  standing  outside  it. 

'  All  hail,  fisher's  son !  '  said  she.  '  I  know  what 
you  are  seeking  ;  enter  in  and  rest  and  eat,  and  to- 
morrow I  will  give  you  what  help  I  can,  and  send  you 
on  your  way .' 

Gladly  did  Ian  the  fisher's  son  accept  her  offer,  and 
all  that  day  he  rested,  and  the  woman  gave  him  oint- 
ment to  put  on  his  feet,  which  healed  his  sores.  At 
daybreak  he  got  up,  ready  to  be  gone,  and  the  woman 
bade  him  farewell,  saying  : 

'  I  have  a  sister  who  dwells  on  the  road  which  you 
must  travel.  It  is  a  long  road,  and  it  would  take  you  a 
year  and  a  day  to  reach  it,  but  put  on  these  old  brown 
shoes  with  holes  all  over  them,  and  you  will  be  there 
before  you  know  it.  Then  shake  them  off,  and  turn 
their  toes  to  the  known,  and  their  heels  to  the  unknown, 
and  they  will  come  home  of  themselves.' 

The  fisher's  son  did  as  the  woman  told  him,  and 
everything  happened  just  as  she  had  said.  But  at 
parting  the  second  sister  said  to  him,  as  she  gave  him 
another  pair  of  shoes  : 

'  Go  to  my  third  sister,  for  she  has  a  son  who  is  keeper 
of  the  birds  of  the  air,  and  sends  them  to  sleep  when 
night  comes.  He  is  very  wise,  and  perhaps  he  can  help 
you.' 

Then  the  young  man  thanked  her,  and  went  to  the 
third  sister. 


158  THE  ENCHANTED  DEER 

The  third  sister  was  very  kind,  but  had  no  counsel 
to  give  him,  so  he  ate  and  drank  and  waited  till  her  son 
came  home,  after  he  had  sent  all  the  birds  to  sleep. 
He  thought  a  long  while  after  his  mother  had  told  him 
the  young  man's  story,  and  at  last  he  said  that  he  was 
hungry,  and  the  cow  must  be  killed,  as  he  wanted  some 
supper.  So  the  cow  was  killed  and  the  meat  cooked, 
and  a  bag  made  of  its  red  skin. 

'  Now  get  into  the  bag,'  bade  the  son,  and  the  young 
man  got  in  and  took  his  gun  with  him,  but  the  dog  and 
the  falcon  he  left  outside.  The  keeper  of  the  birds  drew 
the  string  at  the  top  of  the  bag,  and  left  it  to  finish  his 
supper,  when  in  flew  an  eagle  through  the  open  door, 
and  picked  the  bag  up  in  her  claws  and  carried  it  through 
the  air  to  an  island.  There  was  nothing  to  eat  on  the 
island,  and  the  fisher's  son  thought  he  would  die  for  lack 
of  food,  when  he  remembered  the  box  that  the  lady 
had  put  in  his  pocket.  He  opened  the  lid,  and  three 
tiny  little  birds  flew  out,  and  flapping  their  wings  they 
asked, 

'  Good  master,  is  there  anything  we  can  do  for  thee  ?  ' 

'  Bear  me  to  the  kingdom  of  the  king  under  the 
waves,'  he  answered,  and  one  little  bird  flew  on  to  his 
head,  and  the  others  perched  on  each  of  his  shoulders, 
and  he  shut  his  eyes,  and  in  a  moment  there  he  was  in 
the  country  under  the  sea.  Then  the  birds  flew  away, 
and  the  young  man  looked  about  him,  his  heart  beating 
fast  at  the  thought  that  here  dwelt  the  lady  whom  he 
had  sought  all  the  world  over. 

He  walked  on  through  the  streets,  and  presently  he 
reached  the  house  of  a  weaver  who  was  standing  at  his 
door,  resting  from  his  work. 

'  You  are  a  stranger  here,  that  is  plain,'  said  the 
weaver,  '  but  come  in,  and  I  will  give  you  food  and 
drink.'  And  the  young  man  was  glad,  for  he  knew  not 
where  to  go,  and  they  sat  and  talked  till  it  grew  late. 

'  Stay  with  me,  I  pray,  for  I  love  company  and  am 


THE  ENCHANTED  DEER  159 

lonely,'  observed  the  weaver  at  last,  and  he  pointed 
to  a  bed  in  a  corner,  where  the  fisher's  son  threw  himself, 
and  slept  till  dawn. 

'  There  is  to  be  a  horse-race  in  the  town  to-day,' 
remarked  the  weaver,  '  and  the  winner  is  to  have  the 
king's  daughter  to  wife.'  The  young  man  trembled 
with  excitement  at  the  news,  and  his  voice  shook  as  he 
answered  : 

'  That  will  be  a  prize  indeed,  I  should  like  to  see  the 
race.' 

'  Oh,  that  is  quite  easy — anyone  can  go,'  replied  the 
weaver.  '  I  would  take  you  myself,  but  I  have  promised 
to  weave  this  cloth  for  the  king.' 

'  That  is  a  pity,'  returned  the  young  man  politely, 
but  in  his  heart  he  rejoiced,  for  he  wished  to  be  alone. 

Leaving  the  house,  he  entered  a  grove  of  trees  which 
stood  behind,  and  took  the  box  from  his  pocket.  He 
raised  the  lid,  and  out  flew  the  three  little  birds. 

'  Good  master,  what  shall  we  do  for  thee  ?  '  asked 
they,  and  he  answered,  '  Bring  me  the  finest  horse 
that  ever  was  seen,  and  the  grandest  dress,  and  glass 
shoes.' 

'  They  are  here,  master,'  said  the  birds,  and  so  they 
were,  and  never  had  the  young  man  seen  anything 
so  splendid. 

Mounting  the  horse  he  rode  into  the  ground  where 
the  horses  were  assembling  for  the  great  race,  and  took 
his  place  among  them.  Many  good  beasts  were  there 
which  had  won  many  races,  but  the  horse  of  the  fisher's 
son  left  them  all  behind,  and  he  was  first  at  the  winning 
post.  The  king's  daughter  waited  for  him  in  vain  to 
claim  his  prize,  for  he  went  back  to  the  wood,  and  got 
off  his  horse,  and  put  on  his  old  clothes,  and  bade  the 
box  place  some  gold  in  his  pockets.  After  that  he  went 
back  to  the  weaver's  house,  and  told  him  that  the  gold 
had  been  given  him  by  the  man  who  had  won  the  race. 


160  THE  ENCHANTED  DEER 

and  that  the  weaver  might  have  it  for  his  kindness  to 
him. 

Now  as  nobody  had  appeared  to  demand  the  hand 
of  the  princess,  the  king  ordered  another  race  to  be  run, 
and  the  fisher's  son  rode  into  the  field  still  more  splen- 
didly dressed  than  he  was  before,  and  easily  distanced 
everybody  else.  But  again  he  left  the  prize  unclaimed, 
and  so  it  happened  on  the  third  day,  when  it  seemed  as 
if  all  the  people  in  the  kingdom  were  gathered  to  see  the 
race,  for  they  were  filled  with  curiosity  to  know  who 
the  winner  could  be. 

'  If  he  will  not  come  of  his  own  free  will,  he  must  be 
brought,'  said  the  king,  and  messengers  who  had  seen 
the  face  of  the  victor  were  sent  to  seek  him  in  every 
street  of  the  town.  This  took  many  days,  and  when  at 
last  they  found  the  young  man  in  the  weaver's  cottage, 
he  was  so  dirty  and  ugly  and  had  such  a  strange  appear- 
ance, that  they  declared  he  could  not  be  the  winner  they 
had  been  searching  for,  but  a  wicked  robber  who  had 
murdered  ever  so  many  people,  but  had  always  managed 
to  escape. 

'  Yes,  it  must  be  the  robber,'  said  the  king,  when  the 
fisher's  son  was  led  into  his  presence  ;  '  build  a  gallows 
at  once  and  'hang  him  in  the  sight  of  all  my  subjects, 
that  they  may  behold  him  suffer  the  punishment  of  his 
crimes.' 

So  the  gallows  was  built  upon  a  high  platform,  and 
the  fisher's  son  mounted  the  steps  up  to  it,  and  turned 
at  the  top  to  make  the  speech  that  was  expected  from 
every  doomed  man,  innocent  or  guilty.  As  he  spoke  he 
happened  to  raise  his  arm,  and  the  king's  daughter,  who 
was  there  at  her  father's  side,  saw  the  name  which  she 
had  written  under  it.  With  a  shriek  she  sprang  from  her 
seat,  and  the  eyes  of  the  spectators  were  turned  towards 
her. 

'  Stop  !  stop  !  '  she  cried,  hardly  knowing  what  she 
said.  '  If  that  man  is  hanged  there  is  not  a  soul  in  the 


THE  ENCHANTED  DEER  161 

kingdom  but  shall  die  also.'  And  running  up  to  where 
the  fisher's  son  was  standing,  she  took  him  by  the  hand, 
saying, 

'  Father,  this  is  no  robber  or  murderer,  but  the  victor 
in  the  three  races,  and  he  loosed  the  spells  that  were 
laid  upon  me.' 

Then,  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  she  conducted  him 
into  the  palace,  and  he  bathed  in  a  marble  bath,  and  all 
the  dirt  that  the  fairies  had  put  upon  him  disappeared 
like  magic,  and  when  he  had  dressed  himself  in  the  fine 
garments  the  princess  had  sent  to  him,  he  looked  a. 
match  for  any  king's  daughter  in  Erin.  He  went  down 
into  the  great  hall  where  she  was  awaiting  him,  and 
they  had  much  to  tell  each  other  but  little  time  to  tell 
it  in,  for  the  king  her  father,  and  the  princes  who  were 
visiting  him,  and  all  the  people  of  the  kingdom  were 
still  in  their  places  expecting  her  return. 

'  How  did  you  find  me  out  ?  '  she  whispered  as  they 
went  down  the  passage. 

'  The  birds  in  the  box  told  me,'  answered  he,  but  he 
could  say  no  more,  as  they  stepped  out  into  the  open 
space  that  was  crowded  with  people.  There  the  princesa 
stopped. 

'  0  kings  !  '  she  said,  turning  towards  them, '  if  one  of 
you  were  killed  to-day,  the  rest  would  fly  ;  but  this  man 
put  his  trust  in  me,  and  had  his  head  cut  off  three  times. 
Because  he  has  done  this,  I  will  marry  him  rather  than, 
one  of  you,  who  have  come  hither  to  wed  me,  for  many 
kings  here  sought  to  free  me  from  the  spells,  but  none 
could  do  it  save  Ian  the  fisher's  son.' 

From  '  Popular  Tales  of  the  West  Highlands. 


M 


A  FISH  STORY 


PERHAPS  you  think  that  fishes  were  always  fishes,  and 
never  lived  anywhere  except  in  the  water,  but  if  you 
went  to  Australia  and  talked  to  the  black  people  in  the 
sandy  desert  in  the  centre  of  the  country,  you  would 
learn  something  quite  different.  They  would  tell  you 
that  long,  long  ago  you  would  have  met  fishes  on  the 
land,  wandering  from  place  to  place,  and  hunting  all 
sorts  of  animals,  and  if  you  consider  how  fishes  are  made, 
you  will  understand  how  difficult  this  must  have  been 
^nd  how  clever  they  were  to  do  it.  Indeed,  so  clever 
were  they  that  they  might  have  been  hunting  still  if  a 
terrible  thing  had  not  happened. 

One  day  the  whole  fish  tribe  came  back  very  tired 
from  a  hunting  expedition,  and  looked  about  for  a  nice 
•cool  spot  in  which  to  pitch  their  camp.  It  was  very 
hot,  and  they  thought  that  they  could  not  find  a  more 
•comfortable  place  than  under  the  branches  of  a  large 
tree  which  grew  by  the  bank  of  a  river.  So  they  made 
their  fire  to  cook  some  food,  right  on  the  edge  of  a  steep 
bank,  which  had  a  deep  pool  of  water  lying  beneath  it 
at  the  bottom.  While  the  food  was  cooking  they  all 
stretched  themselves  lazily  out  under  the  tree,  and  were 
just  dropping  off  to  sleep  when  a  big  black  cloud  which 
they  had  never  noticed  spread  over  the  sun,  and  heavy 
drops  of  rain  began  to  fall,  so  that  the  fire  was  almost 
put  out,  and  that,  you  know,  is  a  very  serious  thing  in 
savage  countries  where  they  have  no  matches,  for  it  is 
very  hard  to  light  it  again.  To  make  matters  worse, 
an  icy  wind  began  to  blow,  and  the  poor  fishes  were 
•chilled  right  through  their  bodies. 


A   FISH  STORY 


163 


*  This  will  never  do,'  said  Thuggai,  the  oldest  of  all 
the  fish  tribe.  '  We  shall  die  of  cold  unless  we  can  light 
the  fire  again,'  and  he  bade  his  sons  rub  two  sticks 
together  in  the  hope  of  kindling  a  flame,  but  though 
they  rubbed  till  they  were  tired,  not  a  spark  could  they 
produce. 

'  Let  me  try,'  cried  Biernuga,  the  bony  fish,  but  he 


had  no  better  luck,  and  no  more  had  Kumbal,  the 
bream,  nor  any  of  the  rest. 

'  It  is  no  use,'  exclaimed  Thuggai,  at  last.  '  The 
wood  is  too  wet.  We  must  just  sit  and  wait  till  the  sun 
comes  out  again  and  dries  it.'  Then  a  very  little  fish 
indeed,  not  more  than  four  inches  long  and  the  youngest 
of  the  tribe,  bowed  himself  before  Thuggai,  saying, 

M2 


164  A   FISH  STORY 

1  Ask  my  father,  Guddhu  the  cod,  to  light  the  fire.  He 
is  skilled  in  magic  more  than  most  fishes.'  So  Thuggai 
asked  him,  and  Guddhu  stripped  some  pieces  of  bark 
off  a  tree,  and  placed  them  on  top  of  the  smouldering 
ashes.  Then  he  knelt  by  the  side  of  the  fire  and  blew 
at  it  for  a  long  while,  till  slowly  the  feeble  red  glow 
became  a  little  stronger  and  the  edges  of  the  bark 
showed  signs  of  curling  up.  When  the  rest  of  the  tribe 
saw  this  they  pressed  close,  keeping  their  backs  towards 
the  piercing  wind,  but  Guddhu  told  them  they  must  go 
to  the  other  side,  as  he  wanted  the  wind  to  fan  his  fire. 
By  and  by  the  spark  grew  into  a  flame,  and  a  merry 
crackling  was  heard. 

'More  wood,'  cried  Guddhu,  and  they  all  ran  and 
gathered  wood  and  heaped  it  on  the  flames,  which  leaped 
and  roared  and  sputtered. 

'We  shall  soon  be  warm  now,'  said  the  people  one 
to  another.  '  Truly  Guddhu  is  great '  ;  and  they 
crowded  round  again,  closer  and  closer.  Suddenly,  with 
a  shriek,  a  blast  of  wind  swept  down  from  the  hills 
and  blew  the  fire  out  towards  them.  They  sprang  back 
hurriedly,  quite  forgetting  where  they  stood,  and  all  fell 
down  the  bank,  each  tumbling  over  the  other,  till  they 
rolled  into  the  pool  that  lay  below.  Oh,  how  cold  it  was 
in  that  dark  water  on  which  the  sun  never  shone  ! 
Then  in  an  instant  they  felt  warm  again,  for  the  fire, 
driven  by  the  strong  wind,  had  followed  them  right  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  pool,  where  it  burned  as  brightly  as 
ever.  And  the  fishes  gathered  round  it  as  they  had 
done  on  the  top  of  the  cliff,  and  found  the  flames  as 
hot  as  before,  and  that  fire  never  went  out,  like  those 
upon  land,  but  kept  burning  for  ever.  So  now  you  know 
why,  if  you  dive  deep  down  below  the  cold  surface  of 
the  water  on  a  frosty  day,  you  will  find  it  comfortable 
and  pleasant  underneath,  and  be  quite  sorry  that  you 
cannot  stay  there. 

Australian  Folk  Tale. 


THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE. 

MAURICE  CONNOR  was  the  king,  and  that's  no  small 
word,  of  all  the  pipers  in  Munster.  He  could  play  jig 
and  reel  without  end,  and  Ollistrum's  March,  and  the 
Eagle's  Whistle,  and  the  Hen's  Concert,  and  odd  tunes 
of  every  sort  and  kind.  But  he  knew  one  far  more 
surprising  than  the  rest,  which  had  in  it  the  power  to 
set  everything  dead  or  alive  dancing. 

In  what  way  he  learned  it  is  beyond  my  knowledge, 
for  he  was  mighty  cautious  about  telling  how  he  came 
by  so  wonderful  a  tune.  At  the  very  first  note  of  that 
tune  the  shoes  began  shaking  upon  the  feet  of  all  who 
heard  it — old  or  young,  it  mattered  not — just  as  if 
the  shoes  had  the  ague  ;  then  the  feet  began  going, 
going,  going  from  under  them,  and  at  last  up  and 
away  with  them,  dancing  like  mad,  whisking  here,  there, 
and  everywhere,  like  a  straw  in  a  storm — there  was  no 
halting  while  the  music  lasted. 

Not  a  fair,  nor  a  wedding,  nor  a  feast  in  the  seven 
parishes  round,  was  counted  worth  the  speaking  of 
without  '  blind  Maurice  and  his  pipes.'  His  mother, 
poor  woman,  used  to  lead  him  about  from  one  place 
to  another  just  like  a  dog. 

Down  through  Iveragh,  Maurice  Connor  and  his 
mother  were  taking  their  rounds.  Beyond  all  other 
places  Iveragh  is  the  place  for  stormy  coasts  and  steep 
mountains,  as  proper  a  spot  it  is  as  any  in  Ireland 
to  get  yourself  drowned,  or  your  neck  broken  on  the 


166  THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE 

land,  should  you  prefer  that.  But,  notwithstanding, 
in  Ballinskellig  Bay  there  is  a  neat  bit  of  ground,  well 
fitted  for  diversion,  and  down  from  it,  towards  the 
water,  is  a  clean  smooth  piece  of  strand,  the  dead 
image  of  a  calm  summer's  sea  on  a  moonlight  night, 
with  just  the  curl  of  the  small  waves  upon  it. 

Here  it  was  that  Maurice's  music  had  brought  from 
all  parts  a  great  gathering  of  the  young  men  and  the 
young  women  ;  for  'twas  not  every  day  the  strand  of 
Trafraska  was  stirred  up  by  the  voice  of  a  bagpipe. 
The  dance  began  ;  and  as  pretty  a  dance  it  was  as 
ever  was  danced.  '  Brave  music,'  said  everybody,  '  and 
well  done,'  when  Maurice  stopped. 

'  More  power  to  your  elbow,  Maurice,  and  a  fair 
wind  in  the  bellows,'  cried  Paddy  Dorman,  a  hump- 
backed dancing  master,  who  was  there  to  keep  order. 
'  'Tis  a  pity,'  said  he,  '  if  we'd  let  the  piper  run  dry  after 
such  music  ;  'twould  be  a  disgrace  to  Iveragh,  that 
didn't  come  on  it  since  the  week  of  the  three  Sundays.' 
So,  as  well  became  him,  for  he  was  always  a  decent  man, 
says  he,  '  Did  you  drink,  piper  ?  ' 

'  I  will,  sir,'  said  Maurice,  answering  the  question 
on  the  safe  side,  for  you  never  yet  knew  piper  or  school- 
master who  refused  his  drink. 

'  What  will  you  drink,  Maurice  ?  '  says  Paddy. 

'  I'm  no  ways  particular,'  says  Maurice  ;  '  I  drink 
anything,  barring  raw  water  ;  but  if  it's  all  the  same  to 
you,  Mister  Dorman,  may  be  you  wouldn't  lend  me  the 
loan  of  a  glass  of  whisky.' 

'  I've  no  glass,  Maurice,'  said  Paddy ;  '  I've  only 
the  bottle.' 

'  Let  that  be  no  hindrance,'  answered  Maurice ; 
'  my  mouth  just  holds  a  glass  to  the  drop  ;  often  I've 
tried  it  sure.' 

So  Paddy  Dorman  trusted  him  with  the  bottle — 
more  fool  was  he  ;  and,  to  his  cost,  he  found  that  though 
Maurice's  mouth  might  not  hold  more  than  the  glass 


THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE  1G7 

at  one  time,  yet,  owing  to  the  hole  in  his  throat,  it  took 
many  a  filling. 

'  That  was  no  bad  whisky  neither,'  says  Maurice, 
handing  back  the  empty  bottle. 

'  By  the  holy  frost,  then  !  '  says  Paddy,  '  'tis  but 
cold  comfort  there's  in  that  bottle  now  ;  and  'tis  your 
word  we  must  take  for  the  strength  of  the  whisky,  for 
you've  left  us  no  sample  to  judge  by  '  ;  and  to  be  sure 
Maurice  had  not. 

Now  I  need  not  tell  any  gentleman  or  lady  that 
if  he  or  she  was  to  drink  an  honest  bottle  of  whisky 
at  one  pull,  it  is  not  at  all  the  same  thing  as  drinking 
a  bottle  of  water  ;  and  in  the  whole  course  of  my  life 
I  never  knew  more  than  five  men  who  could  do  so  with- 
out being  the  worse.  Of  these  Maurice  Connor  was  not 
one,  though  he  had  a  stiff  head  enough  of  his  own. 
Don't  think  I  blame  him  for  it ;  but  true  is  the  word 
that  says,  'When  liquor's  in  sense  is  out';  and  puff, 
at  a  breath,  out  he  blasted  his  wonderful  tune. 

'Twas  really  then  beyond  all  belief  or  telling  the 
dancing.  Maurice  himself  could  not  keep  quiet ;  stag- 
gering now  on  one  leg,  now  on  the  other,  and  rolling 
about  like  a  ship  in  a  cross  sea,  trying  to  humour  the 
tune.  There  was  his  mother,  too,  moving  her  old 
bones  as  light  as  the  youngest  girl  of  them  all ;  but 
her  dancing,  no,  nor  the  dancing  of  all  the  rest,  is  not 
worthy  the  speaking  about  to  the  work  that  was  going 
on  down  upon  the  strand.  Every  inch  of  it  covered 
with  all  manner  of  fish  jumping  and  plunging  about  to 
the  music,  and  every  moment  more  and  more  would 
tumble  in  out  of  the  water,  charmed  by  the  wonderful 
tune.  Crabs  of  monstrous  size  spun  round  and  round 
on  one  claw  with  the  nimbleness  of  a  dancing  master, 
and  twirled  and  tossed  their  other  claws  about  like 
limbs  that  did  not  belong  to  them.  It  was  a  sight 
surprising  to  behold.  But  perhaps  you  may  have 
heard  of  Father  Florence  Conry,  as  pleasant  a  man  as 


168  THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE 

one  would  wish  to  drink  with  of  a  hot  summer's  day  ; 
and  he  had  rhymed  out  all  about  the  dancing  fishes  so 
neatly  that  it  would  be  a  thousand  pities  not  to  give 
you  his  verses  ;  so  here  they  are  in  English  : 

The  big  seals  in  motion, 
Like  waves  of  the  ocean, 

Or  gouty  feet  prancing, 
Came  heading  the  gay  6sh, 
Crabs,  lobsters,  and  cray-fish, 

Determined  on  dancing. 

The  sweet  sounds  they  followed, 
The  gasping  cod  swallow'd — 

'Twas  wonderful,  really ; 
And  turbot  and  flounder, 
'Mid  fish  that  were  rounder, 

Just  caper'd  as  gaily. 

John-dories  came  tripping  ; 
Dull  hake,  by  their  skipping, 

To  frisk  it  seem'd  given  ; 
Bright  mackrel  went  springing, 
Like  small  rainbows  winging 

Their  flight  up  to  heaven. 

The  whiting  and  haddock 
Left  salt  water  paddock 

This  dance  to  be  put  in  ; 
Where  skate  with  flat  faces 
Edged  out  some  old  plaices  ; 

But  soles  kept  their  footing. 

Sprats  and  herrings  in  powers 
Of  silvery  showers 

All  number  out-numbered ; 
And  great  ling  so  lengthy 
Was  there  in  such  plenty 

The  shore  was  encumber'd. 

The  scollop  and  oyster 
Their  two  shells  did  roister, 

Like  castanets  flitting  ; 
While  limpets  moved  clearly, 
And  rocks  very  nearly 

With  laughter  were  splitting. 


THE   WONDERFUL   TUNE  169 

Never  was  such  a  hullabaloo  in  this  world,  before 
or  since  ;  'twas  as  if  heaven  and  earth  were  coming 
together ;  and  all  out  of  Maurice  Connor's  wonderful  tune ! 

In  the  height  of  all  these  doings,  what  should  there 
be  dancing  among  the  outlandish  set  of  fishes  but  a 
beautiful  young  woman — as  beautiful  as  the  dawn  of 
day  !  She  had  a  cocked  hat  upon  her  head  ;  from  under 
it  her  long  green  hair — just  the  colour  of  the  sea — fell 
down  behind,  without  hindrance  to  her  dancing.  Her 
teeth  were  like  rows  of  pearls  ;  her  lips  for  all  the  world 
looked  like  red  coral ;  and  she  had  a  shining  gown  pale 
green  as  the  hollow  of  the  wave,  with  little  rows  of 
purple  and  red  seaweeds  settled  out  upon  it ;  for  you 
never  yet  saw  a  lady,  under  the  water  or  over  the 
water,  who  had  not  a  good  notion  of  dressing  herself  out. 

Up  she  danced  at  last  to  Maurice,  who  was  flinging 
his  feet  from  under  him  as  fast  as  hops — for  nothing 
in  this  world  could  keep  still  while  that  tune  of  his 
was  going  on — and  says  she  to  him,  chanting  it  out 
with  a  voice  as  sweet  as  honey  : 

I'm  a  lady  of  honour 

Who  live  in  the  sea  : 
Come  down,  Maurice  Connor, 

And  be  married  to  me. 
Silver  plates  and  gold  dishes 

You  shall  have,  and  shall  be 
The  king  of  the  fishes, 

When  you're  married  to  me. 

Drink  was  strong  in  Maurice's  head,  and  out  he 
chanted  in  return  for  her  great  civility.  It  is  not  every 
lady,  may  be,  that  would  be  after  making  such  an  offer 
to  a  blind  piper  ;  therefore  'twas  only  right  in  him  to 
give  her  as  good  as  she  gave  herself,  so  says  Maurice  : 

I'm  obliged  to  you,  madam  : 

Off  a  gold  dish  or  plate, 
If  a  king,  and  I  had  'em, 

I  could  dine  in  great  state. 


170  THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE 

With  your  own  father's  daughter 

I'd  be  sure  to  agree, 
But  to  drink  the  salt  water 

Wouldn't  do  so  with  me  ! 

The  lady  looked  at  him  quite  amazed,  and  swinging 
her  head  from  side  to  side  like  a  great  scholar,  '  Well,' 
says  she,  '  Maurice,  if  you're  not  a  poet,  where  is  poetry 
to  be  found  ?  ' 

In  this  way  they  kept  on  at  it,  framing  high  com- 
pliments ;  one  answering  the  other,  and  their  feet  going 
with  the  music  as  fast  as  their  tongues.  All  the  fish 
kept  dancing,  too  ;  Maurice  heard  the  clatter  and  was 
afraid  to  stop  playing  lest  it  might  be  displeasing  to 
the  fish,  and  not  knowing  what  so  many  of  them  may 
take  it  into  their  heads  to  do  to  him  if  they  got  vexed. 

Well,  the  lady  with  the  green  hair  kept  on  coaxing 
Maurice  with  soft  speeches,  till  at  last  she  over- 
persuaded  him  to  promise  to  marry  her,  and  be  king 
over  the  fishes,  great  and  small.  Maurice  was  well 
fitted  to  be  their  king,  if  they  wanted  one  that  could 
make  them  dance  ;  and  he  surely  would  drink,  barring 
the  salt  water,  with  any  fish  of  them  all. 

When  Maurice's  mother  saw  him  with  that  un- 
natural thing  in  the  form  of  a  green-haired  lady  as  his 
guide,  and  he  and  she  dancing  down  together  so  lovingly 
to  the  water's  edge,  through  the  thick  of  the  fishes, 
she  called  out  after  him  to  stop  and  come  back.  '  Oh, 
then,'  says  she,  '  as  if  I  was  not  widow  enough  before, 
there  he  is  going  away  from  me  to  be  married  to  that 
scaly  woman.  And  who  knows  but  'tis  grandmother 
I  may  be  to  a  hake  or  a  cod — Lord  help  and  pity  me, 
but  'tis  a  mighty  unnatural  thing !  And  may  be  'tis 
boiling  and  eating  my  own  grandchild  I'll  be,  with  a 
bit  of  salt  butter,  and  I  not  knowing  it !  Oh,  Maurice, 
Maurice,  if  there's  any  love  or  nature  left  in  you,  come 
back  to  your  own  ould  mother,  who  reared  you  like 
a  decent  Christian  ! '  Then  the  poor  woman  began  to 


The  Sea-lady  allures  Maurice  into  the  Sea. 


THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE  171 

cry  and  sob  so  finely  that  it  would  do  anyone  good 
to  hear  her. 

Maurice  was  not  long  getting  to  the  rim  of  the  water. 
There  he  kept  playing  and  dancing  on  as  if  nothing  was 
the  matter,  and  a  great  thundering  wave  coming  in 
towards  him  ready  to  swallow  him  up  alive  ;  but  as  he 
could  not  see  it,  he  did  not  fear  it.  His  mother  it  was 
who  saw  it  plainly  through  the  big  tears  that  were 
rolling  down  her  cheeks  ;  and  though  she  saw  it,  and  her 
heart  was  aching  as  much  as  ever  mother's  heart  ached 
for  a  son,  she  kept  dancing,  dancing  all  the  time  for 
the  bare  life  of  her.  Certain  it  was  she  could  not  help 
it,  for  Maurice  never  stopped  playing  that  wonderful 
tune  of  his. 

He  only  turned  his  ear  to  the  sound  of  his  mother's 
voice,  fearing  it  might  put  him  out  in  his  steps,  and 
all  the  answer  he  made  back  was,  '  Whisht  with  you, 
mother — sure  I'm  going  to  be  king  over  the  fishes  down 
in  the  sea,  and  for  a  token  of  luck,  and  a  sign  that  I'm 
alive  and  well,  I'll  send  you  in,  every  twelvemonth  on 
this  day,  a  piece  of  burned  wood  to  Trafraska.'  Maurice 
had  not  the  power  to  say  a  word  more,  for  the  strange 
lady  with  the  green  hair,  seeing  the  wave  just  upon 
them,  covered  him  up  with  herself  in  a  thing  like  a 
cloak  with  a  big  hood  to  it,  and  the  wave  curling  over 
twice  as  high  as  their  heads,  burst  upon  the  strand, 
with  a  rush  and  a  roar  that  might  be  heard  as  far  as 
Cape  Clear. 

That  day  twelvemonth  the  piece  of  burned  wood 
came  ashore  in  Trafraska.  It  was  a  queer  thing  for 
Maurice  to  think  of  sending  all  the  way  from  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  A  gown  or  a  pair  of  shoes  would  have  been 
something  like  a  present  for  his  poor  mother  ;  but  he 
had  said  it,  and  he  kept  his  word.  The  bit  of  burned 
wood  regularly  came  ashore  on  the  appointed  day  for 
as  good,  ay,  and  better  than  a  hundred  years.  The 
day  is  now  forgotten,  and  may  be  that  is  the  reason 


172  THE   WONDERFUL  TUNE 

why  people  say  how  Maurice  Connor  has  stopped 
sending  the  luck-token  to  his  mother.  Poor  woman, 
she  did  not  live  to  get  as  much  as  one  of  them  ;  for  what 
through  the  loss  of  Maurice,  and  the  fear  of  eating  her 
own  grandchildren,  she  died  in  three  weeks  after  the 
dance.  Some  say  it  was  the  fatigue  that  killed  her, 
but  whichever  it  was,  Mrs.  Connor  was  decently  buried 
with  her  own  people. 

Seafaring  people  have  often  heard,  off  the  coast  of 
Kerry,  on  a  still  night,  the  sound  of  music  coming  up 
from  the  water  ;  and  some,  who  have  had  good  ears, 
could  plainly  distinguish  Maurice  Connor's  voice  singing 
these  words  to  his  pipes — 

Beautiful  shore,  with  thy  spreading  strand, 
Thy  crystal  water,  and  diamond  sand  ; 
Never  would  I  have  parted  from  thee, 
But  for  the  sake  of  my  fair  ladie. 


From  '  Fairy  Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  South  of  Ireland. 


THE  RICH  BROTHER  AND  THE  POOR  BROTHER 


THERE  was  once  a  rich  old  man  who  had  two  sons,  and  as 
his  wife  was  dead,  the  elder  lived  with  him,  and  helped 
him  to  look  after  his  property.  For  a  long  time  all 
went  well ;  the  young  man  got  up  very  early  in  the 
morning,  and  worked  hard  all  day,  and  at  the  end  of 
every  week  his  father  counted  up  the  money  they  had 
made,  and  rubbed  his  hands  with  delight,  as  he  saw 
how  big  the  pile  of  gold  in  the  strong  iron  chest  was. 
becoming.  '  It  will  soon  be  full  now,  and  I  shall  have  to 
buy  a  larger  one,'  he  said  to  himself,  and  so  busy  was 
he  with  the  thought  of  his  money,  that  he  did  not 
notice  how  bright  his  son's  face  had  grown,  nor  how  he 
sometimes  started  when  he  was  spoken  to,  as  if  his. 
mind  was  far  away. 

One  day,  however,  the  old  man  went  to  the  city  on 
business,  which  he  had  not  done  for  three  years  at 
least.  It  was  market  day,  and  he  met  with  many  people 
he  knew,  and  it  was  getting  quite  late  when  he  turned 
into  the  inn  yard,  and  bade  an  ostler  saddle  his  horse, 
and  bring  it  round  directly.  While  he  was  waiting  in 
the  hall,  the  landlady  came  up  for  a  gossip,  and  after 
a  few  remarks  about  the  weather  and  the  vineyards 
she  asked  him  how  he  liked  his  new  daughter-in-law, 
and  whether  he  had  been  surprised  at  the  marriage. 

The  old  man  stared  as  he  listened  to  her.  '  Daughter- 
in-law  ?  Marriage  ?  '  said  he.  'I  don't  know  what 
you  are  talking  about !  I've  got  no  daughter-in-law, 


174    RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER 

and  nobody  has  been  married  lately,  that  ever  I  heard 
of.' 

Now  this  was  exactly  what  the  landlady,  who  was 
very  curious,  wanted  to  find  out ;  but  she  put  on  a 
look  of  great  alarm,  and  exclaimed  : 

'  Oh,  dear  !  I  hope  I  have  not  made  mischief.  I 
had  no  idea — or,  of  course,  I  would  not  have  spoken — 

but ' and  here  she  stopped  and  fumbled  with  her 

apron,  as  if  she  was  greatly  embarrassed. 

'  As  you  have  said  so  much  you  will  have  to  say  a 
little  more,'  retorted  the  old  man,  a  suspicion  of  what 
she  meant  darting  across  him  ;  and  the  woman,  nothing 
loth,  answered  as  before. 

'  Ah,  it  was  not  all  for  buying  or  selling  that  your 
handsome  son  has  been  coming  to  town  every  week 
these  many  months  past.  And  not  by  the  shortest  way, 
either  !  No,  it  was  over  the  river  he  rode,  and  across 
the  hill  and  past  the  cottage  of  Miguel  the  vine-keeper, 
whose  daughter,  they  say,  is  the  prettiest  girl  in  the 
whole  country  side,  though  she  is  too  white  for  my 
taste,'  and  then  the  landlady  paused  again,  and  glanced 
up  at  the  farmer,  to  see  how  he  was  taking  it.  She 
did  not  learn  much.  He  was  looking  straight  before 
him,  his  teeth  set.  But  as  she  ceased  to  talk,  he  said 
quietly,  '  Go  on.' 

'  There  is  not  much  more  to  tell,'  replied  the  land- 
lady, for  she  suddenly  remembered  that  she  must  pre- 
pare supper  for  the  hungry  men  who  always  stopped 
at  the  inn  on  market  days,  before  starting  for  home, 
*  but  one  fine  morning  they  both  went  to  the  little 
church  on  top  of  the  hill,  and  were  married.  My  cousin 
is  servant  to  the  priest,  and  she  found  out  about  it  and 
told  me.  But  good-day  to  you,  sir  ;  here  is  your  horse, 
and  I  must  hurry  off  to  the  kitchen.' 

It  was  lucky  that  the  horse  was  sure-footed  and 
knew  the  road,  for  his  bridle  hung  loose  on  his  neck, 
and  his  master  took  no  heed  of  the  way  he  was  going. 


RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER    175 

When  the  farm-house  was  reached,  the  man  led  the 
animal  to  his  stable,  and  then  went  to  look  for  his  son. 

'  I  know  everything — you  have  deceived  me.  Get 
out  of  my  sight  at  once — I  have  done  with  you,'  he 
stammered,  choking  with  passion  as  he  came  up  to  the 
young  man,  who  was  cutting  a  stick  in  front  of  the 
door,  whistling  gaily  the  while. 

'  But,  father ' 

'  You  are  no  son  of  mine  ;  I  have  only  one  now. 
Begone,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you,'  and  as  he  spoke 
he  lifted  up  his  whip. 

The  young  man  shrank  back.  He  feared  lest  his 
father  should  fall  down  in  a  fit,  his  face  was  so  red  and 
his  eyes  seemed  bursting  from  his  head.  But  it  was  no 
use  staying  :  perhaps  next  morning  the  old  man  might 
listen  to  reason,  though  in  his  heart  the  son  felt  that 
he  would  never  take  back  his  words.  So  he  turned 
slowly  away,  and  walked  heavily  along  a  path  which 
ended  in  a  cave  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  and  there  he  sat 
through  the  night,  thinking  of  what  had  happened. 

Yes,  he  had  been  wrong,  there  was  no  doubt  of 
that,  and  he  did  not  quite  know  how  it  had  come  about. 
He  had  meant  to  have  told  his  father  all  about  it,  and 
he  was  sure,  quite  sure,  that  if  once  the  old  man  had 
seen  his  wife,  he  would  have  forgiven  her  poverty  on 
account  of  her  great  beauty  and  goodness.  But  he  had 
put  it  off  from  day  to  day,  hoping  always  for  a  better 
opportunity,  and  now  this  was  the  end  ! 

If  the  son  had  no  sleep  that  night,  no  more  had  the 
father,  and  as  soon  as  the  sun  rose,  he  sent  a  messenger 
into  the  great  city  with  orders  to  bring  back  the 
younger  brother.  When  he  arrived  the  farmer  did  not 
waste  words,  but  informed  him  that  he  was  now  his 
only  heir,  and  would  inherit  all  his  lands  and  money, 
and  that  he  was  to  come  and  live  at  home,  and  to  help 
manage  the  property. 


176    RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER 

Though  very  pleased  at  the  thought  of  becoming 
such  a  rich  man — for  the  brothers  had  never  cared 
much  for  each  other — the  younger  would  rather  have 
stayed  where  he  was,  for  he  soon  got  tired  of  the 
country,  and  longed  for  a  town  life.  However,  this  he 
kept  to  himself,  and  made  the  best  of  things,  working 
hard  like  his  brother  before  him. 

In  this  way  the  years  went  on,  but  the  crops  were 
not  so  good  as  they  had  been,  and  the  old  man  gave 
orders  that  some  fine  houses  he  was  building  in  the 
city  should  be  left  unfinished,  for  it  would  take  all  his 
savings  to  complete  them.  As  to  the  elder  son,  he 
would  never  even  hear  his  name  mentioned,  and  died 
at  last  without  ever  seeing  his  face,  leaving  to  the 
younger,  as  he  had  promised,  all  his  lands,  as  well  as 
his  money. 

Meanwhile,  the  son  whom  he  had  disinherited  had 
grown  poorer  and  poorer.  He  and  his  wife  were  always 
looking  out  for  something  to  do,  and  never  spent  a 
penny  that  they  could  help,  but  luck  was  against  them, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death  they  had  hardly 
bread  to  eat  or  clothes  to  cover  them.  If  there  had 
been  only  himself,  he  would  have  managed  to  get  on 
somehow,  but  he  could  not  bear  to  watch  his  children 
becoming  weaker  day  by  day,  and  swallowing  his  pride, 
at  length  he  crossed  the  mountains  to  his  old  home 
where  his  brother  was  living. 

It  was  the  first  time  for  long  that  the  two  men  had 
come  face  to  face,  and  they  looked  at  each  other  in 
silence.  Then  tears  rose  in  the  eyes  of  the  elder,  but 
winking  them  hastily  away,  he  said  : 

*  Brother,  it  is  not  needful  that  I  should  tell  you 
how  poor  I  am  ;  you  can  see  that  for  yourself.  I  have 
not  come  to  beg  for  money,  but  only  to  ask  if  you  will 
give  me  those  unfinished  houses  of  yours  in  the  city, 
and  I  will  make  them  watertight,  so  that  my  wife  and 


RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER    177 

children  can  live  in  them,  and  that  will  save  our  rent. 
For  as  they  are,  they  profit  you  nothing.' 

And  the  younger  brother  listened  and  pitied  him, 
and  gave  him  the  houses  that  he  asked  for,  and  the 
elder  went  away  happy. 

For  some  years  things  went  on  as  they  were,  and 
then  the  rich  brother  began  to  feel  lonely,  and  thought 
to  himself  that  he  was  getting  older,  and  it  was  time 
for  him  to  be  married.  The  wife  he  chose  was  very 
wealthy,  but  she  was  also  very  greedy,  and  however  much 
she  had,  she  always  wanted  more.  She  was,  besides, 
one  of  those  unfortunate  people  who  invariably  fancy 
that  the  possessions  of  other  people  must  be  better 
than  their  own.  Many  a  time  her  poor  husband  regretted 
the  day  that  he  had  first  seen  her,  and  often  her  mean- 
ness and  shabby  ways  put  him  to  shame.  But  he  had 
not  the  courage  to  rule  her,  and  she  only  got  worse  and 
worse. 

After  she  had  been  married  a  few  months  the  bride 
wanted  to  go  into  the  city  and  buy  herself  some  new 
dresses.  She  had  never  been  there  before,  and  when 
she  had  finished  her  shopping,  she  thought  she  would 
pay  a  visit  to  her  unknown  sister-in-law,  and  rest  for  a 
bit.  The  house  she  was  seeking  was  in  a  broad  street, 
and  ought  to  have  been  very  magnificent,  but  the  carved 
stone  portico  enclosed  a  mean  little  door  of  rough 
\vood,  while  a  row  of  beautiful  pillars  led  to  nothing. 
The  dwellings  on  each  side  were  in  the  same  unfinished 
condition,  and  water  trickled  down  the  walls.  Most 
people  would  have  considered  it  a  wretched  place,  and 
turned  their  backs  on  it  as  soon  as  they  could,  but  this 
lady  saw  that  by  spending  some  money  the  houses  could 
be  made  as  splendid  as  they  were  originally  intended 
to  be,  and  she  instantly  resolved  to  get  them  for  herself. 

Full  of  this  idea  she  walked  up  the  marble  staircase, 
and  entered  the  little  room  where  her  sister-in-law  sat, 

L.  N 


178    RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER 

making  clothes  for  her  children.  The  bride  seemed 
full  of  interest  in  the  houses,  and  asked  a  great  many 
questions  about  them,  so  that  her  new  relations  liked 
her  much  better  than  they  expected,  and  hoped  they 
might  be  good  friends.  However,  as  soon  as  she  reached 
home,  she  went  straight  to  her  husband,  and  told  him 
that  he  must  get  back  those  houses  from  his  brother, 
as  they  would  exactly  suit  her,  and  she  could  easily 
make  them  into  a  palace  as  fine  as  the  king's.  But  her 
husband  only  told  her  that  she  might  buy  houses  in 
some  other  part  of  the  town,  for  she  could  not  have 
those,  as  he  had  long  since  made  a  gift  of  them  to  his 
brother,  who  had  lived  there  for  many  years  past. 

At  this  answer  the  wife  grew  very  angry.  She  began 
to  cry,  and  made  such  a  noise  that  all  the  neighbours 
heard  her  and  put  their  heads  out  of  the  windows,  to 
see  what  was  the  matter.  '  It  was  absurd,'  she  sobbed 
out,  '  quite  unjust.  Indeed,  if  you  came  to  think  of  it, 
the  gift  was  worth  nothing,  as  when  her  husband  made 
it  he  was  a  bachelor,  and  since  then  he  had  been  mar- 
ried, and  she  had  never  given  her  consent  to  any  such 
thing.'  And  so  she  lamented  all  day  and  all  night, 
till  the  poor  man  was  nearly  worried  to  death ;  and  at 
last  he  did  what  she  wished,  and  summoned  his  brother 
in  a  court  of  law  to  give  up  the  houses  which,  he  said, 
had  only  been  lent  to  him.  But  when  the  evidence  on 
both  sides  had  been  heard,  the  judge  decided  in  favour 
of  the  poor  man,  which  made  the  rich  lady  more  furious 
than  ever,  and  she  determined  not  to  rest  until  she 
had  gained  the  day.  If  one  judge  would  not  give  her 
the  houses  another  should,  and  so  time  after  time  the 
case  was  tried  over  again,  till  at  last  it  came  before  the 
highest  judge  of  all,  in  the  city  of  Evora.  Her  husband 
was  heartily  tired  and  ashamed  of  the  whole  affair, 
but  his  weakness  in  not  putting  a  stop  to  it  in  the  be- 
ginning had  got  him  into  this  difficulty,  and  now  he 
was  forced  to  go  on. 


EICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER    179 

On  the  same  day  the  two  brothers  set  out  on  their 
journey  to  the  city,  the  rich  one  on  horseback,  with 
plenty  of  food  in  his  knapsack,  the  poor  one  on  foot 
with  nothing  but  a  piece  of  bread  and  four  onions  to 
eat  on  the  way.  The  road  was  hilly  and  neither  could 
go  very  fast,  and  when  night  fell,  they  were  both  glad 
to  see  some  lights  in  a  window  a  little  distance  in  front 
of  them. 

The  lights  turned  out  to  have  been  placed  there 
by  a  farmer,  who  had  planned  to  have  a  particularly 
good  supper  as  it  was  his  wife's  birthday,  and  bade  the 
rich  man  enter  and  sit  down,  while  he  himself  took  the 
horss  to  the  stable.  The  poor  man  asked  timidly  if  he 
might  spend  the  night  in  a  corner,  adding  that  he  had 
brought  his  own  supper  with  him.  Another  time  per- 
mission might  have  been  refused  him,  for  the  farmer 
was  no  lover  of  humble  folk,  but  now  he  gave  the  elder 
brother  leave  to  come  in,  pointing  out  a  wooden  chair 
where  he  could  sit. 

Supper  was  soon  served,  and  very  glad  the  younger 
brother  was  to  eat  it,  for  his  long  ride  had  made  him 
very  hungry.  The  farmer's  wife,  however,  would  touch 
nothing,  and  at  last  declared  that  the  only  supper  she 
wanted  was  one  of  the  onions  the  poor  man  was  cooking 
at  the  fire.  Of  course  he  gave  it  to  her,  though  he  would 
gladly  have  eaten  it  himself,  as  three  onions  are  not 
much  at  the  end  of  a  long  day's  walk,  and  soon  after 
they  all  went  to  sleep,  the  poor  man  making  himself 
as  comfortable  as  he  could  in  his  corner. 

A  few  hours  later  the  farmer  was  aroused  by  the 
cries  and  groans  of  his  \\ife. 

'  Oh,  I  feel  so  ill,  I'm  sure  I'm  going  to  die,'  wept 
she.  '  It  was  that  onion,  I  know  it  was.  I  wish  I  had 
never  eaten  it.  It  must  have  been  poisoned.' 

'  If  the  man  has  poisoned  you  he  shall  pay  for  it,' 
said  her  husband,  and  seizing  a  thick  stick  he  ran 

N2 


180    EICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER 

downstairs  and  began  to  beat  the  poor  man,  who  had 
been  sound  asleep,  and  had  nothing  to  defend  himself 
with.  Luckily,  the  noise  aroused  the  younger  brother, 
who  jumped  up  and  snatched  the  stick  from  the  far- 
mer's hand,  saying  : 

'  We  are  both  going  to  Evora  to  try  a  law-suit. 
Come  too,  and  accuse  him  there  if  he  has  attempted  to 
rob  you  or  murder  you,  but  don't  kill  him  now,  or  you 
will  get  yourself  into  trouble.' 

'  Well,  perhaps  you  are  right,'  answered  the  far- 
mer, '  but  the  sooner  that  fellow  has  his  deserts,  the 
better  I  shall  be  pleased,'  and  without  more  \vords  he 
went  to  the  stables  and  brought  out  a  horse  for  himself 
and  also  the  black  Andalusian  mare  ridden  by  the  rich 
man,  while  the  poor  brother,  fearing  more  ill-treat- 
ment, started  at  once  on  foot. 

Now  all  that  night  it  had  rained  heavily,  and  did 
not  seem  likely  to  stop,  and  in  some  places  the  road 
was  so  thick  with  mud  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
get  across  it.  In  one  spot  it  was  so  very  bad  that  a 
mule  laden  with  baggage  had  got  stuck  in  it,  and  tug 
as  he  might,  his  master  was  quite  unable  to  pull  him 
out.  The  muleteer  in  despair  appealed  to  the  two  horse- 
men, who  were  carefully  skirting  the  swamp  at  some 
distance  off,  but  they  paid  no  heed  to  his  cries,  and  he 
began  to  talk  cheerfully  to  his  mule,  hoping  to  keep  up 
his  spirits,  declaring  that  if  the  poor  beast  would  only 
have  a  little  patience  help  was  sure  to  come. 

And  so  it  did,  for  very  soon  the  poor  brother  reached 
the  place,  bespattered  with  mud  from  head  to  foot,  but 
ready  to  do  all  he  could  to  help  the  mule  and  his  master. 
First  they  set  about  finding  some  stout  logs  of  wood 
to  lay  down  on  the  marsh  so  that  they  could  reach  the 
mule,  for  by  this  time  his  frantic  struggles  had  broken 
his  bridle,  and  he  was  deeper  in  than  ever.  Stepping 
cautiously  along  the  wood,  the  poor  man  contrived  to 


RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER    181 

lay  hold  of  the  animal's  tail,  and  with  a  desperate  effort 
the  mule  managed  to  regain  his  footing  on  dry  ground, 
but  at  the  cost  of  leaving  his  tail  in  the  poor  man's 
hand.  When  he  saw  this  the  muleteer's  anger  knew  no 
bounds,  and  forgetting  that  without  the  help  given 
him  he  would  have  lost  his  mule  altogether,  he  began 
to  abuse  the  poor  man,  declaring  that  he  had  ruined 
his  beast,  and  the  law  would  make  him  pay  for  it.  Then, 
jumping  on  the  back  of  the  mule,  which  was  so  glad  to 
be  out  of  the  choking  mud  that  he  did  not  seem  to  mind 
the  loss  of  his  tail,  the  ungrateful  wretch  rode  on,  and 
that  evening  reached  the  inn  at  Evora,  where  the  rich 
man  and  the  farmer  had  already  arrived  for  the  night. 

Meanwhile  the  poor  brother  walked  wearily  along, 
wondering  what  other  dreadful  adventures  were  in 
store  for  him. 

'  I  shall  certainly  be  condemned  for  one  or  other 
of  them,'  thought  he  sadly  ;  '  and  after  all,  if  I  have  to 
die,  I  would  rather  choose  my  own  death  than  leave  it 
to  my  enemies,'  and  as  soon  as  he  entered  Evora  he 
looked  about  for  a  place  suitable  for  carrying  out  the 
plan  he  had  made.  At  length  he  found  what  he  sought, 
but  as  it  was  too  late  and  too  dark  for  him  to  make  sure 
of  success,  he  curled  himself  up  under  a  doorway,  and 
slept  till  morning. 

Although  it  was  winter,  the  sun  rose  in  a  clear  sky, 
and  its  rays  felt  almost  warm  when  the  poor  man  got 
up  and  shook  himself.  He  intended  it  to  be  the  day  of 
his  death,  but  in  spite  of  that,  and  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  leaving  his  wife  and  children  behind  him,  he  felt 
almost  cheerful.  He  had  struggled  so  long,  and  was  so 
very,  very  tired  ;  but  he  would  not  have  minded  that 
if  he  could  have  proved  his  innocence,  and  triumphed 
over  his  enemies.  However,  they  had  all  been  too 
clever  for  him,  and  he  had  no  strength  to  fight  any 
more.  So  he  mounted  the  stone  steps  that  led  to  the 


182    RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER 

battlements  of  the  city,  and  stopped  for  a  moment  to 
gaze  about  him. 

It  happened  that  an  old  sick  man  who  lived  near  by 
had  begged  to  be  carried  out  and  to  be  laid  at  the  foot 
of  the  wall  so  that  the  beams  of  the  rising  sun  might 
fall  upon  him,  and  he  would  be  able  to  talk  with  his 
friends  as  they  passed  by  to  their  work.  Little  did  he 
guess  that  on  top  of  the  battlements,  exactly  over  his 
head,  stood  a  man  who  was  taking  his  last  lock  at  the 
same  sun,  before  going  to  his  death  that  awaited  him. 
But  so  it  was  ;  and  as  the  steeple  opposite  was  touched 
by  the  golden  light,  the  poor  man  shut  his  eyes  and 
sprang  forward.  The  wall  was  high,  and  he  flew  rapidly 
through  the  air,  but  it  was  not  the  ground  he  touched, 
only  the  body  of  the  sick  man,  who  rolled  over  and 
died  without  a  groan.  As  for  the  other,  he  was  quite 
unhurt,  and  was  slowly  rising  to  his  feet  when  his  arms 
were  suddenly  seized  and  held. 

'  You  have  killed  our  father,  do  you  see  ?  do  you 
see  ?  '  cried  two  young  men,  '  and  you  will  come  with 
us  this  instant  before  the  judge,  and  answer  for  it.' 

'  Your  father  ?  but  I  don't  know  him.  What  do 
you  mean  ?  '  asked  the  poor  man,  who  was  quite  be- 
wildered with  his  sudden  rush  through  the  air,  and 
could  not  think  why  he  should  be  accused  of  this  fresh 
crime.  But  he  got  no  reply,  and  was  only  hurried 
through  the  streets  to  the  court-house,  where  his  brother, 
the  muleteer,  and  the  farmer  had  just  arrived,  all  as 
angry  as  ever,  all  talking  at  once,  till  the  judge  entered 
and  ordered  them  to  be  silent. 

'  I  will  hear  you  one  by  one,'  he  said,  and  motioned 
the  younger  brother  to  begin. 

He  did  not  take  long  to  state  his  case.  The  un- 
finished houses  were  his,  left  him  with  the  rest  of  the 
property  by  his  father,  and  his  brother  refused  to  give 
them  up.  In  answer,  the  poor  man  told,  in  a  few 
words,  how  he  had  begged  the  houses  from  his  brother, 


RICH  BROTHER  AND  POOR  BROTHER    183 

and  produced  the  deed  of  gift  which  made  him  their 
owner. 

The  judge  listened  quietly  and  asked  a  few  questions ; 
then  he  gave  his  verdict. 

'  The  houses  shall  remain  the  property  of  the  man 
to  whom  they  were  given,  and  to  whom  they  belong. 
And  as  you,'  he  added,  turning  to  the  younger  brother, 
'  brought  this  accusation  knowing  full  well  it  was 
wicked  and  unjust,  I  order  you,  besides  losing  the 
houses,  to  pay  a  thousand  pounds  damages  to  your 
brother.' 

The  rich  man  heard  the  judge  with  rage  in  his  heart, 
the  poor  man  with  surprise  and  gratitude.  But  he  was 
not  safe  yet,  for  now  it  was  the  turn  of  the  farmer. 
The  judge  could  hardly  conceal  a  smile  at  the  story, 
and  inquired  if  the  wife  was  dead  before  the  farmer  left 
the  house,  and  received  for  answer  that  he  was  in  such 
a  hurry  for  justice  to  be  done  that  he  had  not  waited 
to  see.  Then  the  poor  man  told  his  tale,  and  once  more 
judgment  was  given  in  his  favour,  while  twelve  hun- 
dred pounds  was  ordered  to  be  paid  him.  As  for  the 
muleteer,  he'  was  informed  very  plainly  that  he  had 
proved  himself  mean  and  ungrateful  for  the  help  that 
had  been  given  him,  and  as  a  punishment  he  must 
pay  to  the  poor  man  a  fine  of  fifty  pounds,  and  hand 
him  over  the  mule  till  his  tail  had  grown  again. 

Lastly,  there  came  the  two  sons  of  the  sick  man. 

'  This  is  the  wretch  who  killed  our  father,'  they 
said,  '  and  we  demand  that  he  should  die  also.' 

'  How  did  you  kill  him  ?  '  asked  the  judge,  turning 
to  the  accused,  and  the  poor  man  told  how  he  had 
leaped  from  the  wall,  not  knowing  that  anyone  was 
beneath. 

'  Well,  this  is  my  judgment,'  replied  the  judge, 
when  they  had  all  spoken  :  '  Let  the  accused  sit  under 
the  wall,  and  let  the  sons  of  the  dead  man  jump  from 
the  top  and  fall  on  him  and  kill  him,  and  if  they  will  not 


184    RICH  BROTHER  AND   POOR  BROTHER 

do  this,  then  they  are  condemned  to  pay  eight  hundred 
pounds  for  their  false  accusation.' 

The  young  men  looked  at  each  other,  and  slowly 
shook  their  heads. 

'  We  will  pay  the  fine,'  said  they,  and  the  judge 
nodded. 

So  the  poor  man  rode  the  mule  home,  and  brought 
back  to  his  family  enough  money  to  keep  them  in 
comfort  to  the  end  of  their  days. 

Adapted  from  the  Portuguese. 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

AN  old  couple  once  lived  in  a  hut  under  a  grove  of  palm 
trees,  and  they  had  one  son  and  one  daughter.  They 
were  all  very  happy  together  for  many  years,  and  then 
the  father  became  very  ill,  and  felt  he  was  going  to  die. 
He  called  his  children  to  the  place  where  he  lay  on  the 
floor — for  no  one  had  any  beds  in  that  country — and  said 
to  his  son,  '  I  have  no  herds  of  cattle  to  leave  you — only 
the  few  things  there  are  in  the  house — for  I  am  a  poor 
man,  as  you  know.  But  choose  :  will  you  have  my 
blessing  or  my  property  ?  ' 

'  Your  property,  certainly,'  answered  the  son,  and  his 
father  nodded. 

'  And  you  ?  '  asked  the  old  man  of  the  girl,  who  stood 
by  her  brother. 

'  I  will  have  blessing,'  she  answered,  and  her  father 
gave  her  much  blessing. 

That  night  he  died,  and  his  wife  and  son  and 
daughter  mourned  for  him  seven  days,  and  gave  him 
a  burial  according  to  the  custom  of  his  people.  But 
hardly  was  the  time  of  mourning  over,  than  the  mother 
was  attacked  by  a  disease  which  was  common  in  that 
country. 

'  I  am  going  away  from  you,'  she  said  to  her  children, 
in  a  faint  voice  ;  '  but  first,  my  son,  choose  which  you 
will  have  :  blessing  or  property.' 

'  Property,  certainly,'  answered  the  son. 

'  And  you,  my  daughter  ?  ' 


186  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

'  I  will  have  blessing,'  said  the  girl ;  and  her  mother 
gave  her  much  blessing,  and  that  night  she  died. 

When  the  days  of  mourning  were  ended,  the  brother 
bade  his  sister  put  outside  the  hut  all  that  belonged  to 
his  father  and  his  mother.  So  the  girl  put  them  out,  and 
he  took  them  away,  save  only  a  small  pot  and  a  vessel  in 
which  she  could  clean  her  corn.  But  she  had  no  corn  to 
clean. 

She  sat  at  home,  sad  and  hungry,  when  a  neighbour 
knocked  at  the  door. 

'  My  pot  has  cracked  in  the  fire,  lend  me  yours  to 
cook  my  supper  in,  and  I  will  give  you  a  handful  of  corn 
in  return.' 

And  the  girl  was  glad,  and  that  night  she  was  able 
to  have  supper  herself,  and  next  day  another  woman 
borrowed  her  pot,  and  then  another  and  another,  for 
never  were  known  so  many  accidents  as  befell  the  village 
pots  at  that  time.  She  soon  grew  quite  fat  with  all  the 
corn  she  earned  with  the  help  of  her  pot,  and  then  one 
evening  she  picked  up  a  pumpkin  seed  in  a  corner,  and 
planted  it  near  her  well,  and  it  sprang  up,  and  gave  her 
many  pumpkins. 

At  last  it  happened  that  a  youth  from  her  village 
passed  through  the  place  where  the  girl's  brother  was, 
and  the  two  met  and  talked. 

'  What  news  is  there  of  my  sister  ? '  asked  the  young 
man,  with  whom  things  had  gone  badly,  for  he  was  idle. 

'  She  is  fat  and  well-liking,'  replied  the  youth,  '  for 
the  women  borrow  her  mortar  to  clean  their  corn,  and 
borrow  her  pot  to  cook  it  in,  and  for  all  this  they  give 
her  more  food  than  she  can  eat.'  And  he  went  Ms  way. 

Now  the  brother  was  filled  with  envy  at  the  words  of 
the  man,  and  he  set  out  at  once,  and  before  dawn  he  had 
reached  the  hut,  and  saw  the  pot  and  the  mortar  were 
standing  outside.  He  slung  them  over  his  shoulders 
and  departed,  pleased  with  his  own  cleverness  ;  but 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  187 

when  his  sister  awoke  and  sought  for  the  pot  to  cook 
her  corn  for  breakfast,  she  could  find  it  nowhere.  At 
length  she  said  to  herself, 

'  Well,  some  thief  must  have  stolen  them  while  I 
slept.  I  will  go  and  see  if  any  of  my  pumpkins  are 
ripe.'  And  indeed  they  were,  and  so  many  that  the  tree 
was  almost  broken  by  the  weight  of  them.  So  she  ate 
what  she  wanted  and  took  the  others  to  the  village,  and 
gave  them  in  exchange  for  corn,  and  the  women  said  that 
no  pumpkins  were  as  sweet  as  these,  and  that  she  was 
to  bring  every  day  all  that  she  had.  In  this  way  she 
earned  more  than  she  needed  for  herself,  and  soon  was 
able  to  get  another  mortar  and  cooking  pot  in  exchange 
for  her  corn.  Then  she  thought  she  was  quite  rich. 

Unluckily  someone  else  thought  so  too,  and  this 
was  her  brother's*  wife,  who  had  heard  all  about  the 
pumpkin  tree,  and  sent  her  slave  with  a  handful  of  grain 
to  buy  her  a  pumpkin.  At  first  the  girl  told  him  that 
so  few  were  left  that  she  could  not  spare  any  ;  but  when 
she  found  that  he  belonged  to  her  brother,  she  changed 
her  mind,  and  went  out  to  the  tree  and  gathered  the 
largest  and  the  ripest  that  was  there. 

'  Take  this  one,'  she  said  to  the  slave,  *  and  carry  it 
back  to  your  mistress,  but  tell  her  to  keep  the  corn,  as 
the  pumpkin  is  a  gift.' 

The  brother's  wife  was  overjoyed  at  the  sight  of 
the  fruit,  and  when  she  tasted  it,  she  declared  it  was 
the  nicest  she  had  ever  eaten.  Indeed,  all  night  she 
thought  of  nothing  else,  and  early  in  the  morning  she 
called  another  slave  (for  she  was  a  rich  woman)  and  bade 
him  go  and  ask  for  another  pumpkin.  But  the  girl,  who 
had  just  been  out  to  look  at  her  tree,  told  him  that  they 
were  all  eaten,  so  he  went  back  empty-handed  to  his 
mistress. 

In  the  evening  her  husband  returned  from  hunting  a 
long  way  off,  and  found  his  wife  in  tears. 


188  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

'  What  is  the  matter  ? '  asked  he. 

'  I  sent  a  slave  with  some  grain  to  your  sister  to  buy 
some  pumpkins,  but  she  would  not  sell  me  any,  and  told 
me  there  were  none,  though  I  know  she  lets  other  people 
buy  them.' 

'  Well,  never  mind  now — go  to  sleep,'  said  he,  '  and 
to-morrow  I  will  go  and  pull  up  the  pumpkin  tree,  and 
that  will  punish  her  for  treating  you  so  badly.' 

So  before  sunrise  he  got  up  and  set  out  for  his  sister's 
house,  and  found  her  cleaning  some  corn. 

'  Why  did  you  refuse  to  sell  my  wife  a  pumpkin 
yesterday  when  she  wanted  one  ?  '  he  asked. 

'  The  old  ones  are  finished,  and  the  new  ones  are  not 
yet  come,'  answered  the  girl.  '  When  her  slave  arrived 
two  days  ago,  there  were  only  four  left ;  but  I  gave  him 
one,  and  would  take  no  corn  for  it.' 

'  I  do  not  believe  you  :  you  have  sold  them  all  to 
other  people.  I  shall  go  and  cut  down  the  pumpkin,' 
cried  her  brother  in  a  rage. 

'  If  you  cut  down  the  pumpkin  you  shall  cut  off  my 
hand  with  it,'  exclaimed  the  girl,  running  up  to  her  tree 
and  catching  hold  of  it.  But  her  brother  followed,  and 
with  one  blow  cut  off  the  pumpkin  and  her  hand  too. 

Then  he  went  into  the  house  and  took  away  every- 
thing he  could  find,  and  sold  the  house  to  a  friend  of  his 
who  had  long  wished  to  have  it,  and  his  sister  had  no 
home  to  go  to. 

Meanwhile  she  had  bathed  her  arm  carefully,  and 
bound  on  it  some  healing  leaves  that  grew  near  by,  and 
wrapped  a  cloth  round  the  leaves,  and  went  to  hide  in 
the  forest,  that  her  brother  might  not  find  her  again. 

For  seven  days  she  wandered  about,  eating  only  the 
fruit  that  hung  from  the  trees  above  her,  and  every 
night  she  climbed  up  and  tucked  herself  safely  among 
the  creepers  which  bound  together  the  big  branches,  so 
that  neither  lions  nor  tigers  nor  panthers  might  get  at 
her. 


THE  oitu.  LQ-sr  HER.  HAND!? 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  191 

When  she  woke  up  on  the  seventh  morning  she  saw 
from  her  perch  smoke  coming  up  from  a  little  town  on 
the  edge  of  the  forest.  The  sight  of  the  huts  made  her 
feel  more  lonely  and  helpless  than  before.  She  longed 
desperately  for  a  draught  of  milk  from  a  gourd,  for  there 
were  no  streams  in  that  part,  and  she  was  very  thirsty, 
but  how  was  she  to  earn  anything  with  only  one  hand  ? 
And  at  this  thought  her  courage  failed,  and  she  began  to 
cry  bitterly. 

It  happened  that  the  king's  son  had  come  out  from 
the  town  very  early  to  shoot  birds,  and  when  the  sun 
grew  hot  he  felt  tired. 

'  I  will  lie  here  and  rest  under  this  tree,'  he  said  to  his 
attendants.  '  You  can  go  and  shoot  instead,  and  I  will 
just  have  this  slave  to  stay  with  me ! '  Away  they 
went,  and  the  young  man  fell  asleep,  and  slept  long. 
Suddenly  he  was  awakened  by  something  wet  and  salt 
falling  on  his  face. 

'  What  is  that  ?  Is  it  raining  ?  '  he  said  to  his  slave. 
*  Go  and  look.' 

'  No,  master,  it  is  not  raining,'  answered  the  slave. 

'  Then  climb  up  the  tree  and  see  what  it  is,'  and  the 
slave  climbed  up,  and  came  back  and  told  his  master 
that  a  beautiful  girl  was  sitting  up  there,  and  that  it 
must  have  been  her  tears  which  had  fallen  on  the  face  of 
che  king's  son. 

'  Why  was  she  crying  ?  '  inquired  the  prince. 

'  I  cannot  tell — I  did  not  dare  to  ask  her ;  but 
perhaps  she  would  tell  you.'  And  the  master,  greatly 
wondering,  climbed  up  the  tree. 

'  What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  '  said  he  gently,  and, 
as  she  only  sobbed  louder,  he  continued  : 

'  Are  you  a  woman,  or  a  spirit  of  the  woods  ?  ' 

'  I  am  a  woman,'  she  answered  slowly,  wiping  her 
eyes  with  a  leaf  of  the  creeper  that  hung  about  her. 

'  Then  why  do  you  cry  ?  '  he  persisted. 


192  THE  ONE-HANDED   GIRL 

f 

*  I  have  many  things  to  cry  for,'  she  replied,  '  more 
than  you  could  ever  guess.' 

'  Come  home  with  me,'  said  the  prince ;  '  it  is  not  very 
far.  Come  home  to  my  father  and  mother.  I  am  a 
king's  son.' 

'  Then  why  are  you  here  ?  '  she  said,  opening  her  eyes 
and  staring  at  him. 

'  Once  every  month  I  and  my  friends  shoot  birds  in 
the  forest,'  he  answered,  '  but  I  was  tired  and  bade  them 
leave  me  to  rest.  And  you — what  are  you  doing  up  in 
this  tree  ?  ' 

At  that  she  began  to  cry  again,  and  told  the  king's 
son  all  that  had  befallen  her  since  the  death  of  her 
mother. 

'  I  cannot  come  down  \vith  you,  for  I  do  not  like  any- 
one to  see  me,'  she  ended  with  a  sob. 

'  Oh !  I  will  manage  all  that,'  said  the  king's  son,  and 
swinging  himself  to  a  lower  branch,  he  bade  his  slave  go 
quickly  into  the  town,  and  bring  back  with  him  four 
strong  men  and  a  curtained  litter.  When  the  man  was 
gone,  the  girl  climbed  down,  and  hid  herself  on  the 
ground  in  some  bushes.  Very  soon  the  slave  returned 
with  the  litter,  which  was  placed  on  the  ground  close  to 
the  bushes  where  the  girl  lay. 

'  Now  go,  all  of  you,  and  call  my  attendants,  for  I  do 
not  wish  to  stay  here  any  longer,'  he  said  to  the  men,  and 
as  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight  he  bade  the  girl  get 
into  the  litter,  and  fasten  the  curtains  tightly.  Then 
he  got  in  on  the  other  side,  and  waited  till  his  attendants 
came  up. 

'  What  is  the  matter,  0  son  of  a  king  ?  '  asked  they, 
breathless  with  running. 

'  I  think  I  am  ill ;  I  am  cold,'  he  said,  and  signing 
to  the  bearers,  he  drew  the  curtains,  and  was  carried 
through  the  forest  right  inside  his  own  house. 

'  Tell  my  father  and  mother  that  I  have  a  fever,  and 
want  some  gruel,'  said  he,  '  and  bid  them  send  it  quickly.' 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  195 

So  the  slave  hastened  to  the  king's  palace  and  gave 
his  message,  which  troubled  both  the  king  and  the  queen 
greatly.  A  pot  of  hot  gruel  was  instantly  prepared,  and 
carried  over  to  the  sick  man,  and  as  soon  as  the  council 
which  was  sitting  was  over,  the  king  and  his  ministers 
went  to  pay  him  a  visit,  bearing  a  message  from  the 
queen  that  she  would  follow  a  little  later. 

Now  the  prince  had  pretended  to  be  ill  in  order  to 
soften  his  parent's  hearts,  and  the  next  day  he  declared 
he  felt  better,  and,  getting  into  his  litter,  was  carried  to 
the  palace  in  state,  drums  being  beaten  all  along  the 
road. 

He  dismounted  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  and  walked 
up,  a  great  parasol  being  held  over  his  head  by  a  slave. 
Then  he  entered  the  cool,  dark  room  where  his  father 
and  mother  were  sitting,  and  said  to  them  : 

'  I  saw  a  girl  yesterday  in  the  forest  whom  I  wish  to 
marry,  and,  unknown  to  my  attendants,  I  brought  her 
back  to  my  house  in  a  litter.  Give  me  your  consent,  I 
beg,  for  no  other  woman  pleases  me  as  well,  even  though 
she  has  but  one  hand  ! ' 

Of  course  the  king  and  queen  would  have  preferred 
a  daughter-in-law  with  two  hands,  and  one  who  could 
have  brought  riches  with  her,  but  they  could  not  bear  to 
say  '  No  '  to  their  son,  so  they  told  him  it  should  be  as  he 
chose,  and  that  the  wedding  feast  should  be  prepared 
immediately. 

The  girl  could  scarcely  believe  her  good  fortune,  and, 
in  gratitude  for  all  the  kindness  shown  her,  was  so  useful 
and  pleasant  to  her  husband's  parents  that  they  soon 
loved  her. 

By  and  bye  a  baby  was  born  to  her,  and  soon  after 
that  the  prince  was  sent  on  a  journey  by  his  father  to 
visit  some  of  the  distant  towns  of  the  kingdom,  and  to 
set  right  things  that  had  gone  wrong. 

No  sooner  had  he  started  than  the  girl's  brother,  who 

o2 


196  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

had  wasted  all  the  riches  his  wife  had  brought  him  in 
recklessness  and  folly,  and  was  now  very  poor,  chanced 
to  come  into  the  town,  and  as  he  passed  he  heard  a  man 
say,  '  Do  you  know  that  the  king's  son  has  married  a 
woman  who  has  lost  one  of  her  hands  ?  '  On  hearing 
these  words  the  brother  stopped  and  asked,  '  Where  did 
he  find  such  a  woman  ?  ' 

*  In  the  forest,'  answered  the  man,  and  the  cruel 
brother  guessed  at  once  it  must  be  his  sister. 

A  great  rage  took  possession  of  his  soul  as  he  thought 
of  the  girl  whom  he  had  tried  to  ruin  being  after  all  so 
much  better  off  than  himself,  and  he  vowed  that  he 
would  work  her  ill.  Therefore  that  very  afternoon  he 
made  his  way  to  the  palace  and  asked  to  see  the  king. 

When  he  was  admitted  to  his  presence,  he  knelt 
down  and  touched  the  ground  with  his  forehead,  and 
the  king  bade  him  stand  up  and  tell  wherefore  he  had 
come. 

'  By  the  kindness  of  your  heart  have  you  been  de- 
ceived, 0  king,'  said  he.  *  Your  son  has  married  a  girl 
who  has  lost  a  hand.  Do  you  know  why  she  has  lost  it  ? 
She  was  a  witch,  and  has  wedded  three  husbands,  and 
each  husband  she  has  put  to  death  with  her  arts.  Then 
the  people  of  the  town  cut  off  her  hand,  and  turned  her 
into  the  forest.  And  what  I  say  is  true,  for  her  town  is 
my  town  also.' 

The  king  listened,  and  his  face  grew  dark.  Un- 
luckily he  had  a  hasty  temper,  and  did  not  stop  to  reason, 
and,  instead  of  sending  to  the  town,  and  discovering 
people  who  knew  his  daughter-in-law  and  could  have 
told  him  how  hard  she  had  worked  and  how  poor  she 
had  been,  he  believed  all  the  brother's  lying  words,  and 
made  the  queen  believe  them  too.  Together  they  took 
counsel  what  they  should  do,  and  in  the  end  they  decided 
that  they  also  would  put  her  out  of  the  town.  But  this 
did  not  content  the  brother. 

'  Kill  her,'  he  said.     '  It  is  no  more  than  she  deserves 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 


197 


for  daring  to  marry  the  king's  son.     Then  she  can  do  no 
more  hurt  to  anyone.' 

'  We  cannot  kill  her,'  answered  they  ;  '  if  we  did,  our 
son  would  assuredly  kill  us.     Let  us  do  as  the  others  did, 


and  put  her  out  of  the  town.'     And  with  this  the  envious 
brother  was  forced  to  be  content. 

The  poor  girl  loved  her  husband  very  much,  but  just 
then  the  baby  was  more  to  her  than  all  else  in  the  world, 


198  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

and  as  long  as  she  had  him  with  her,  she  did  not  very 
much  mind  anything.  So,  taking  her  son  on  her  arm, 
and  hanging  a  little  earthen  pot  for  cooking  round  her 
neck,  she  left  her  house  with  its  great  peacock  fans  and 
slaves  and  seats  of  ivory,  and  plunged  into  the  forest. 

For  a  while  she  walked,  not  knowing  whither  she 
went,  then  by  and  bye  she  grew  tired,  and  sat  under  a 
tree  to  rest  and  to  hush  her  baby  to  sleep.  Suddenly  she 
raised  her  eyes,  and  saw  a  snake  wriggling  from  under 
the  bushes  towards  her. 

'  I  am  a  dead  woman,'  she  said  to  herself,  and  stayed 
quite  still,  for  indeed  she  was  too  frightened  to  move. 
In  another  minute  the  snake  had  reached  her  side,  and 
to  her  surprise  he  spoke. 

'  Open  your  earthen  pot,  and  let  me  go  in.  Save  me 
from  sun,  and  I  will  save  you  from  rain,'  and  she  opened 
the  pot,  and  when  the  snake  had  slipped  in,  she  put  on 
the  cover.  Soon  she  beheld  another  snake  coming  after 
the  other  one,  and  when  it  had  reached  her  it  stopped  and 
said,  '  Did  you  see  a  small  grey  snake  pass  this  way  just 
now  ?  ' 

'  Yes,'  she  answered,  '  it  was  going  very  quickly.' 

'  Ah,  I  must  hurry  and  catch  it  up,'  replied  the 
second  snake,  and  it  hastened  on. 

When  it  was  out  of  sight,  a  voice  from  the  pot  'said  : 

'  Uncover  me,'  and  she  lifted  the  lid,  and  the  little 
grey  snake  slid  rapidly  to  the  ground. 

'  I  am  safe  now,'  he  said.  '  But  tell  me,  where  are 
you  going  ?  ' 

'  I  cannot  tell  you,  for  I  do  not  know,'  she  answered. 
*  I  am  just  wandering  in  the  wood.' 

'  Follow  me,  and  let  us  go  home  together,'  said  the 
snake,  and  the  girl  followed  him  through  the  forest  and 
along  the  green  paths,  till  they  came  to  a  great  lake, 
where  they  stopped  to  rest. 

'  The  sun  is  hot '  said  the  snake.   '  and  vou  have, 


"  MY  BABY,  MY  BABY  t  " 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  201 

walked  far.  Take  your  baby  and  bathe  in  that  cool 
place  where  the  boughs  of  the  tree  stretch  far  over  the 
water.' 

'  Yes,  I  will,'  answered  she,  and  they  went  in.  The 
baby  splashed  and  crowed  with  delight,  and  then  he  gave 
a  spring  and  fell  right  in,  down,  down,  down,  and  his 
mother  could  not  find  him,  though  she  searched  all 
among  the  reeds. 

Full  of  terror,  she  made  her  way  back  to  the  bank,  and 
called  to  the  snake,  '  My  baby  is  gone  ! — he  is  drowned, 
and  never  shall  I  see  him  again.' 

'  Go  in  once  more,'  said  the  snake,  '  and  feel  every- 
where, even  among  the  trees  that  have  their  roots  in  the 
water,  lest  perhaps  he  may  be  held  fast  there.' 

Swiftly  she  went  back  and  felt  everywhere  with  her 
whole  hand,  even  putting  her  fingers  into  the  tiniest 
crannies,  where  a  crab  could  hardly  have  taken  shelter. 

'  No,  he  is  not  here,'  she  cried.  '  How  am  I  to  live 
without  him  ?  '  But  the  snake  took  no  notice,  and  only 
answered,  '  Put  in  your  other  arm  too.' 

'  What  is  the  use  of  that  ?  '  she  asked,  '  when  it  has 
no  hand  to  feel  with  ?  '  but  all  the  same  she  did  as  she  was 
bid,  and  in  an  instant  the  wounded  arm  touched  some- 
thing round  and  soft,  lying  between  two  stones  in  a 
clump  of  reeds. 

'  My  baby,  my  baby  ! '  she  shouted,  and  lifted  him 
up,  merry  and  laughing,  and  not  a  bit  hurt  or  frightened. 

'  Have  you  found  liim  this  time  ?  '  asked  the  snake. 

'  Yes,  oh,  yes ! '  she  answered,  '  and,  why — why — 
I  have  got  my  hand  back  again  ! '  and  from  sheer  joy 
she  burst  into  tears. 

The  snake  let  her  weep  for  a  little  while,  and  then  he 
said — 

'  Now  we  will  journey  on  to  my  family,  and  we  will 
all  repay  you  for  the  kindness  you  showed  to  me.' 

'  You  have  done  more  than  enough  in  giving  me 


202  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

back  my  hand,'  replied  the  girl ;  but  the  snake  only 
smiled. 

'  Be  quick,  lest  the  sun  should  set,'  he  answered,  and 
began  to  wriggle  along  so  fast  that  the  girl  could  hardly 
follow  him. 

By  and  bye  they  arrived  at  the  house  in  a  tree  where 
the  snake  lived,  when  he  was  not  travelling  with  his 
father  and  mother.  And  he  told  them  all  his  adven- 
tures, and  how  he  had  escaped  from  his  enemy.  The 
father  and  mother  snake  could  not  do  enough  to  show 
their  gratitude.  They  made  their  guest  lie  down  on  a 
hammock  woven  of  the  strong  creepers  which  hung  from 
bough  to  bough,  till  she  was  quite  rested  after  her 
wanderings,  while  they  watched  the  baby  and  gave  him 
milk  to  drink  from  the  cocoa-nuts  which  they  persuaded 
their  friends  the  monkeys  to  crack  for  them.  They  even 
managed  to  carry  small  fruit  tied  up  in  their  tails  for  the 
baby's  mother,  who  felt  at  last  that  she  was  safe  and  at 
peace.  Not  that  she  forgot  her  husband,  for  she  often 
thought  of  him  and  longed  to  show  him  her  son,  and  in 
the  night  she  would  sometimes  lie  awake  and  wonder 
where  he  was. 

In  this  manner  many  weeks  passed  by. 

And  what  was  the  prince  doing  ? 

Well,  he  had  fallen  very  ill  when  he  was  on  the 
furthest  border  of  the  kingdom,  and  he  was  nursed  by 
some  kind  people  who  did  not  know  who  he  was,  so  that 
the  king  and  queen  heard  nothing  about  him.  When  he 
was  better  he  made  his  way  slowly  home  again,  and  into 
his  father's  palace,  where  he  found  a  strange  man  stand- 
ing behind  the  throne  with  the  peacock's  feathers.  This 
was  his  wife's  brother,  whom  the  king  had  taken  into 
high  favour,  though,  of  course,  the  prince  was  quite 
ignorant  of  what  had  happened. 

For  a  moment  the  king  and  queen  stared  at  their  son, 
as  if  he  had  been  unknown  to  them ;  he  had  grown  so  thin 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  203 

and  weak  during  his  illness  that  his  shoulders  were  bowed 
like  those  of  an  old  man. 

'  Have  you  forgotten  me  so  soon  ?  '  he  asked. 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  they  gave  a  cry  and  ran 
towards  him,  and  poured  out  questions  as  to  what  had 
happened,  and  why  he  looked  like  that.  But  the  prince 
did  not  answer  any  of  them. 

'  How  is  my  wife  ?  '  he  said.    There  was  a  pause. 

Then  the  queen  replied  : 

'  She  is  dead.' 

'  Dead  \ '  he  repeated,  stepping  a  little  backwards. 
*  And  my  child  ?  ' 

'  He  is  dead  too.' 

The  young  man  stood  silent.  Then  he  said,  '  Show 
me  their  graves.' 

At  these  wrords  the  king,  wrho  had  been  feeling  rather 
uncomfortable,  took  heart  again,  for  had  he  not  pre- 
pared twro  beautiful  tombs  for  his  son  to  see,  so  that  he 
might  never,  never  guess  what  had  been  done  to  his  wife  ? 
All  these  months  the  king  and  queen  had  been  telling 
each  other  how  good  and  merciful  they  had  been 
not  to  take  her  brother's  advice  and  to  put  her  to 
death.  But  now,  this  somehow  did  not  seem  so 
certain. 

Then  the  king  led  the  way  to  the  courtyard  just 
behind  the  palace,  and  through  the  gate  into  a  beautiful 
garden  where  stood  two  splendid  tombs  in  a  green  space 
under  the  trees.  The  prince  advanced  alone,  and, 
resting  his  head  against  the  stone,  he  burst  into  tears. 
His  father  and  mother  stood  silently  behind  with  a 
curious  pang  in  their  souls  which  they  did  not  quite 
understand.  Could  it  be  that  they  were  ashamed  of 
themselves  ? 

But  after  a  while  the  prince  turned  round,  and  walk- 
ing past  them  into  the  palace  he  bade  the  slaves  bring 
him  mourning.  For  seven  days  no  one  saw  him,  but  at 
the  end  of  them  he  went  out  hunting,  and  helped  his  father 


204 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 


rule  his  people  as  before.     Only  no  one  dared  to  speak  to 
him  of  his  wife  and  son. 

At  last  one  morning,  after  the  girl  had  been  lying 


awake  all  night  thinking  of  her  husband,  she  said  to  her 
friend  the  snake  : 

'  You  have  all  shown  me  much  kindness,  but  now  I 
am  well  again,  and  want  to  go  home  and  hear  some  news 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  205 

of  my  husband,  and  if  he  still  mourns  for  me ! '  Now  the 
heart  of  the  snake  was  sad  at  her  words,  but  he  only  said : 

'  Yes,  thus  it  must  be  ;  go  and  bid  farewell  to  my 
father  and  mother,  but  if  they  offer  you  a  present,  see  that 
you  take  nothing  but  my  father's  ring  and  my  mother's 
casket.' 

So  she  went  to  the  parent  snakes,  who  wept  bitterly 
at  the  thought  of  losing  her,  and  offered  her  gold  and 
jewels  as  much  as  she  could  carry  in  remembrance  of 
them.  But  the  girl  shook  her  head  and  pushed  the 
shining  heap  away  from  her. 

'  I  shall  never  forget  you,  never,'  she  said  in  a  broken 
voice, '  but  the  only  tokens  I  will  accept  from  you  are  that 
little  ring  and  this  old  casket.' 

The  two  snakes  looked  at  each  other  in  dismay.  The 
ring  and  the  casket  were  the  only  things  they  did  not 
want  her  to  have.  Then  after  a  short  pause  they  spoke. 

'  Why  do  you  want  the  ring  and  casket  so  much  ? 
Who  has  told  you  of  them  ?  ' 

'  Oh,  nobody ;  it  is  just  my  fancy,'  answered  she. 
But  the  old  snakes  shook  their  heads  and  replied  : 

'  Not  so  ;  it  is  our  son  who  told  you,  and,  as  he  said, 
so  it  must  be.  If  you  need  food,  or  clothes,  or  a  house, 
tell  the  ring  and  it  will  find  them  for  you.  And  if  you 
are  unhappy  or  in  danger,  tell  the  casket  and  it  will  set 
things  right.'  Then  they  both  gave  her  their  blessing, 
and  she  picked  up  her  baby  and  went  her  way. 

She  walked  for  a  long  time,  till  at  length  she  came 
near  the  town  where  her  husband  and  his  father  dwelt. 
Here  she  stopped  under  a  grove  of  palm  trees,  and  told 
the  ring  that  she  wanted  a  house. 

*  It  is  ready,  mistress,'  whispered  a  queer  little  voice 
which  made  her  jump,  and,  looking  behind  her,  she  saw 
a  lovely  palace  made  of  the  finest  woods,  and  a  row 
of  slaves  with  tall  fans  bowing  before  the  door.  Glad 
indeed  was  she  to  enter,  for  she  was  very  tired,  and,  after 
eating  a  good  supper  of  fruit  and  milk  which  she  found 


206  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

in  one  of  the  rooms,  she  flung  herself  down  on  a  pile  of 
cushions  and  went  to  sleep  with  her  baby  beside  her. 

Here  she  stayed  quietly,  and  every  day  the  baby 
grew  taller  and  stronger,  and  very  soon  he  could  run 
about  and  even  talk.  Of  course  the  neighbours  had  a 
great  deal  to  say  about  the  house  which  had  been  built 
so  quickly — so  very  quickly — on  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  and  invented  all  kinds  of  stories  about  the  rich 
lady  who  lived  in  it.  And  by  and  bye,  when  the  king 
returned  with  his  son  from^  the  wars,  some  of  these  tales 
reached  his  ears. 

*  It  is  really  very  odd  about  that  house  under  the 
palms,'  he  said  to  the  queen ;    '  I  must  find   out  some- 
thing of  the  lady  whom  no  one  ever  sees.     I  daresay  it 
is  not  a  lady  at  all,  but  a  gang  of  conspirators  who  want 
to  get  possession  of  my  throne.    To-morrow  I  shall  take 
my  son  and  my  chief  ministers  and  insist  on  getting 
inside.' 

Soon  after  sunrise  next  day  the  prince's  wife  was 
standing  on  a  little  hill  behind  the  house,  when  she  saw 
a  cloud  of  dust  coming  through  the  town.  A  moment 
afterwards  she  heard  faintly  the  roll  of  the  drums  that 
announced  the  king's  presence,  and  saw  a  crowd  of 
people  approaching  the  grove  of  palms.  Her  heart  beat 
fast.  Could  her  husband  be  among  them  ?  In  any  case 
they  must  not  discover  her  there  ;  so  just  bidding  the 
ring  prepare  some  food  for  them,  she  ran  inside,  and 
bound  a  veil  of  golden  gauze  round  her  head  and  face. 
Then,  taking  the  child's  hand,  she  went  to  the  door  and 
waited. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  whole  procession  came  up,  and 
she  stepped  forward  and  begged  them  to  come  in  and 
rest. 

*  Willingly,'  answered  the  king ;  *  go  first,  and  we  will 
follow  you.' 

They  followed  her  into  a  long  dark  room,  in  which 


THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL  207 

was  a  table  covered  with  gold  cups  and  baskets  filled  with 
dates  and  cocoa-nuts  and  all  kinds  of  ripe  yellow  fruits, 
and  the  king  and  the  prince  sat  upon  cushions  and  were 
served  by  slaves,  while  the  ministers,  among  whom  she 
recognised  her  own  brother,  stood  behind. 

'  Ah,  I  owe  all  my  misery  to  him,'  she  said  to  herself. 
'  From  the  first  he  has  hated  me,'  but  outwardly  she 
showed  nothing.  And  when  the  king  asked  her  what 
news  there  was  in  the  town  she  only  answered  : 

'  You  have  ridden  far  ;  eat  first,  and  drink,  for  you 
must  be  hungry  and  thirsty,  and  then  I  will  tell  you  my 
news.' 

'  You  speak  sense,'  answered  the  king,  and  silence 
prevailed  for  some  time  longer.  Then  he  said  : 

'  Now,  lady,  I  have  finished,  and  am  refreshed,  there- 
fore tell  me,  I  pray  you,  who  you  are,  and  whence  you 
come  ?  But,  first,  be  seated.' 

She  bowed  her  head  and  sat  down  on  a  big  scarlet 
cushion,  drawing  her  little  boy,  who  was  asleep  in  a 
corner,  on  to  her  knee,  and  began  to  tell  the  story  of  her 
life.  As  her  brother  listened,  he  would  fain  have  left 
the  house  and  hidden  himself  in  the  forest,  but  it  was  his 
duty  to  wave  the  fan  of  peacock's  feathers  over  the  king's 
head  to  keep  off  the  flies,  and  he  knew  he  would  be  seized 
by  the  royal  guards  if  he  tried  to  desert  his  post.  He 
must  stay  where  he  was,  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and 
luckily  for  him  the  king  was  too  much  interested  in  the 
tale  to  notice  that  the  fan  had  ceased  moving,  and  that 
flies  were  dancing  right  on  the  top  of  his  thick  curly  hair. 

The  story  went  on,  but  the  story-teller  never  once 
looked  at  the  prince,  even  through  her  veil,  though  he 
on  his  side  never  moved  his  eyes  from  her.  When  she 
reached  the  part  where  she  had  sat  weeping  in  the  tree, 
the  king's  son  could  restrain  himself  no  longer. 

'  It'  is  my  wife,'  he  cried,  springing  to  where  she  sat 
with  the  sleeping  child  in  her  lap.  '  They  have  lied  to 
me,  and  you  are  not  dead  after  all,  nor  the  boy  either ! 


208  THE  ONE-HANDED  GIRL 

But  what  has  happened  ?  Why  did  they  lie  to  me  ? 
and  why  did  you  leave  my  house  where  you  were  safe  ?  * 
And  he  turned  and  looked  fiercely  at  his  father. 

'  Let  me  finish  my  tale  first,  and  then  you  will  know,* 
answered  she,  throwing  back  her  veil,  and  she  told  how 
her  brother  had  come  to  the  palace  and  accused  her  of 
being  a  witch,  and  had  tried  to  persuade  the  king  to  slay 
her.  '  But  he  would  not  do  that,'  she  continued  softly, 
'  and  after  all,  if  I  had  stayed  on  in  your  house,  I  should 
never  have  met  the  snake,  nor  have  got  my  hand  back 
again.  So  let  us  forget  all  about  it,  and  be  happy  once 
more,  for  see  !  our  son  is  growing  quite  a  big  boy.' 

'  And  what  shall  be  done  to  your  brother  ?  '  asked  the 
king,  who  was  glad  to  think  that  someone  had  acted  in 
this  matter  worse  than  himself. 

*  Put  him  out  of  the  town,'  answered  she. 

From  'Swaheli  Tales,'  by  E.  Steere. 


THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG 


IN  a  beautiful  island  that  lies  in  the  southern  seas,  where 
chains  of  gay  orchids  bind  the  trees  together,  and  the 
days  and  nights  are  equally  long  and  nearly  equally 
hot,  there  once  lived  a  family  of  seven  sisters.  Their 
father  and  mother  were  dead,  and  they  had  no  brothers, 
so  the  eldest  girl  ruled  over  the  rest,  and  they  all  did 
as  she  bade  them.  One  sister  had  to  clean  the  house, 
a  second  carried  water  from  the  spring  in  the  forest,  a 
third  cooked  their  food,  while  to  the  youngest  fell  the 
hardest  task  of  all,  for  she  had  to  cut  and  bring  home 
the  wood  which  was  to  keep  the  fire  continually  burning. 
This  was  very  hot  and  tiring  work,  and  when  she  had 
fed  the  fire  and  heaped  up  in  a  corner  the  sticks  that 
were  to  supply  it  till  the  next  day,  she  often  threw  herself 
down  under  a  tree,  and  went  sound  asleep. 

One  morning,  however,  as  she  was  staggering  along 
with  her  bundle  on  her  back,  she  thought  that  the 
river  which  flowed  past  their  hut  looked  so  cool  and  in- 
viting that  she  determined  to  bathe  in  it,  instead  of 
taking  her  usual  nap.  Hastily  piling  up  her  load  by  the 
fire,  and  thrusting  some  sticks  into  the  flame,  she  ran 
down  to  the  river  and  jumped  in.  How  delicious  it  was 
diving  and  swimming  and  floating  in  the  dark  forest, 
where  the  trees  were  so  thick  that  you  could  hardly  see 
the  sun !  But  after  a  while  she  began  to  look  about  her, 
and  her  eyes  fell  on  a  little  fish  that  seemed  made  out  of 
a  rainbow,  so  brilliant  were  the  colours  he  flashed  out. 

'  I  should  like  him  for  a  pet,'  thought  the  girl,  and 

L.  P 


210 


THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG 


the  next  time  the  fish  swam  by,  she  put  out  her  hand  and 
caught  him.  Then  she  ran  along  the  grassy  path  till  she 
came  to  a  cave  in  front  of  which  a  stream  fell  over  some 
rocks  into  a  basin.  Here  she  put  her  little  fish,  whose 


name  was  Djulung-djulung,  and  promising  to  return 
soon  and  bring  him  some  dinner,  she  went  away. 

By  the  time  she  got  home,  the  rice  for  their  dinner  was 
ready  cooked,  and  the  eldest  sister  gave  the  other  six 


THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG  211 

their  portions  in  wooden  bowls.  But  the  youngest  did 
not  finish  hers,  and  when  no  one  was  looking,  stole  off 
to  the  fountain  in  the  forest  where  the  little  fish  was 
swimming  about. 

'  See  !  I  have  not  forgotten  you,'  she  cried,  and  one 
by  one  she  let  the  grains  of  rice  fall  into  the  water, 
where  the  fish  gobbled  them  up  greedily,  for  he  had 
never  tasted  anything  so  nice. 

'  That  is  all  for  to-day,'  she  said  at  last,  '  but  I  will 
come  again  to-morrow,'  and  bidding  him  good-bye  she 
went  down  the  path. 

Now  the  girl  did  not  tell  her  sisters  about  the  fish, 
but  every  day  she  saved  half  of  her  rice  to  give  him, 
and  called  him  softly  in  a  little  song  she  had  made  for 
herself.  If  she  sometimes  felt  hungry,  no  one  knew  of  it, 
and,  indeed,  she  did  not  mind  that  much,  when  she  saw 
how  the  fish  enjoyed  it.  And  the  fish  grew  fat  and 
big,  but  the  girl  grew  thin  and  weak,  and  the  loads  of 
wood  felt  heavier  every  day,  and  at  last  her  sisters 
noticed  it. 

Then  they  took  counsel  together,  and  watched  her 
to  see  what  she  did,  and  one  of  them  followed  her  to  the 
fountain  where  Djulung  lived,  and  saw  her  give  him  all 
the  rice  she  had  saved  from  her  breakfast.  Hastening 
home  the  sister  told  the  others  what  she  had  witnessed, 
and  that  a  lovely  fat  fish  might  be  had  for  the  catching. 
So  the  eldest  sister  went  and  caught  him,  and  he  was 
boiled  for  supper,  but  the  youngest  sister  was  away  in 
the  woods,  and  did  not  know  anything  about  it. 

Next  morning  she  went  as  usual  to  the  cave,  and  sang 
her  little  song,  but  no  Djulung  came  to  answer  it ;  twice 
and  thrice  she  sang,  then  threw  herself  on  her  knees  by  the 
edge,  and  peered  into  the  dark  water,  but  the  trees  cast 
such  a  deep  shadow  that  her  eyes  could  not  pierce  it. 

'  Djulung  cannot  be  dead,  or  his  body  would  be 
floating  on  the  surface,'  she  said  to  herself,  and  rising  to 


212  THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG 

her  feet  she  set  out  homewards,  feeling  all  of  a  sudden 
strangely  tired. 

'  What  is  the  matter  with  me  ?  '  she  thought,  but 
somehow  or  other  she  managed  to  reach  the  hut,  and 
threw  herself  down  in  a  corner,  where  she  slept  so  soundly 
that  for  days  no  one  was  able  to  wake  her. 

At  length,  one  morning  early,  a  cock  began  to  crow 
so  loud  that  she  could  sleep  no  longer  ;  and  as  he  con- 
tinued to  crow  she  seemed  to  understand  what  he  was 
saying,  and  that  he  was  telling  her  that  Djulung  was 
dead,  killed  and  eaten  by  her  sisters,  and  that  his  bones 
lay  buried  under  the  kitchen  fire.  Very  softly  she  got  up, 
and  took  up  the  large  stone  under  the  fire,  and  creeping 
out  carried  the  bones  to  the  cave  by  the  fountain, 
where  she  dug  a  hole  and  buried  them  anew.  And 
as  she  scooped  out  the  hole  with  a  stick  she  sang  a  song, 
bidding  the  bones  grow  till  they  became  a  tree — a  tree 
that  reached  up  so  high  into  the  heavens  that  its  leaves 
would  fall  across  the  sea  into  another  island,  whose  king 
would  pick  them  up. 

As  there  was  no  Djulung  to  give  her  rice  to,  the  girl 
soon  became  fat  again,  and  as  she  was  able  to  do  her 
work  as  of  old,  her  sisters  did  not  trouble  about  her. 
They  never  guessed  that  when  she  went  into  the  forest 
to  gather  her  sticks,  she  never  failed  to  pay  a  visit  to 
the  tree,  which  grew  taller  and  more  wonderful  day  by 
day.  Never  was  such  a  tree  seen  before.  Its  trunk 
was  of  iron,  its  leaves  were  of  silk,  its  flowers  of  gold, 
and  its  fruit  of  diamonds,  and  one  evening,  though  the 
girl  did  not  know  it,  a  soft  breeze  took  one  of  the  leaves, 
and  blew  it  across  the  sea  to  the  feet  of  one  of  the  king's 
attendants. 

'  What  a  curious  leaf !  I  have  never  beheld  one 
like  it  before.  I  must  show  it  to  the  king,'  he  said,  and 
when  the  king  saw  it  he  declared  he  would  never  rest 
until  he  had  found  the  tree  which  bore  it,  even  if  he  had 


THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG  213 

to  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  in  visiting  the  islands  that 
lay  all  round.  Happily  for  him,  he  began  with  the 
island  that  was  nearest,  and  here  in  the  forest  he  sud- 
denly saw  standing  before  him  the  iron  tree,  its  boughs 
covered  with  shining  leaves  like  the  one  he  carried 
about  him. 

'  But  what  sort  of  a  tree  is  it,  and  how  did  it  get 
here  ?  '  he  asked  of  the  attendants  he  had  with  him. 
No  one  could  answer  him,  but  as  they  were  about  to  pass 
out  of  the  forest  a  little  boy  went  by,  and  the  king 
stopped  and  inquired  if  there  was  anyone  living  in  the 
neighbourhood  whom  he  might  question. 

'  Seven  girls  live  in  a  hut  down  there,'  replied  the 
boy,  pointing  with  his  finger  to  where  the  sun  was 
setting. 

'  Then  go  and  bring  them  here,  and  I  will  wait,'  said 
the  king,  and  the  boy  ran  off  and  told  the  sisters  that  a 
great  chief,  with  strings  of  jewels  round  his  neck,  had 
sent  for  them. 

Pleased  and  excited  the  six  elder  sisters  at  once 
followed  the  boy,  but  the  youngest,  who  was  busy,  and 
who  did  not  care  about  strangers,  stayed  behind,  to 
finish  the  work  she  was  doing.  The  king  welcomed  the 
girls  eagerly,  and  asked  them  all  manner  of  questions 
about  the  tree,  but  as  they  had  never  even  heard  of  its 
existence,  they  could  tell  him  nothing.  '  And  if  we, 
who  live  close  by  the  forest,  do  not  know,  you  may  be 
sure  no  one  does,'  added  the  eldest,  who  was  rather 
cross  at  finding  this  was  all  that  the  king  wanted  of 
them. 

'  But  the  boy  told  me  there  were  seven  of  you,  and 
there  are  only  six  here,'  said  the  king. 

'  Oh,  the  youngest  is  at  home,  but  she  is  always  half 
asleep,  and  is  of  no  use  except  to  cut  wood  for  the  fire,' 
replied  they  in  a  breath. 

'  That  may  be,  but  perhaps  she  dreams,'  answered  the 
king.  '  Anyway,  I  will  speak  to  her  also.'  Then  he 


214  THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG 

signed  to  one  of  his  attendants,  who  followed  the  path 
that  the  boy  had  taken  to  the  hut. 


Bo\oeo  DOUJJ*  AND  THE  qtau  QAVE  OF  ITS  t-Eftucs 


Soon  the  man  returned,  with  the  girl  walking  behind 
him.     And  as  soon  as  she  reached  the  tree  it  bowed 


THE  BONES  OF  DJULUNG  215 

itself  to  the  earth  before  her,  and  she  stretched  out  her 
hand  and  picked  some  of  its  leaves  and  flowers  and  gave 
them  to  the  king. 

'  The  maiden  who  can  work  such  wonders  is  fitted 
to  be  the  wife  of  the  greatest  chief,'  he  said,  and  so  he 
married  her,  and  took  her  with  him  across  the  sea  to  his 
own  home,  where  they  lived  happy  for  ever  after. 

From    Folk  Lore/  by  A.  F.  Mackenzie. 


THE  SEA  RING'S  GIFT 

THERE  was  once  a  fisherman  who  was  called  Salmon, 
and  his  Christian  name  was  Matte.  He  lived  by  the 
shore  of  the  big  sea  ;  where  else  could  he  live  ?  He  had 
a  wife  called  Maie  ;  could  you  find  a  better  name  for 
her  ?  In  winter  they  dwelt  in  a  little  cottage  by  the 
shore,  but  in  spring  they  flitted  to  a  red  rock  out  in  the 
sea  and  stayed  there  the  whole  summer  until  it  was 
autumn.  The  cottage  on  the  rock  was  even  smaller 
than  the  other  ;  it  had  a  wooden  bolt  instead  of  an 
iron  lock  to  the  door,  a  stone  hearth,  a  flagstaff,  and  a 
weather-cock  on  the  roof. 

The  rock  was  called  Ahtola,  and  was  not  larger  than 
the  market-place  of  a  town.  Between  the  crevices  there 
grew  a  little  rowan  tree  and  four  alder  bushes.  Heaven 
only  knows  how  they  ever  came  there  ;  perhaps  they 
were  brought  by  the  winter  storms.  Besides  that, 
there  flourished  some  tufts  of  velvety  grass,  some 
scattered  reeds,  two  plants  of  the  yellow  herb  called 
tansy,  four  of  a  red  flower,  and  a  pretty  white  one  ; 
but  the  treasures  of  the  rock  consisted  of  three  roots 
of  garlic,  which  Maie  had  put  in  a  cleft.  Rock  walls 
sheltered  them  on  the  north  side,  and  the  sun  shone  on 
them  on  the  south.  This  does  not  seem  much,  but 
it  sufficed  Maie  for  a  herb  plot. 

All  good  things  go  in  threes,  so  Matte  and  his  wife 
fished  for  salmon  in  spring,  for  herring  in  summer,  and 
for  cod  in  winter.  When  on  Saturdays  the  weather  was 
fine  and  the  wind  favourable,  they  sailed  to  the  nearest 


THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT  217 

town,  sold  their  fish,  and  went  to  church  on  Sunday. 
But  it  often  happened  that  for  weeks  at  a  time  they 
were  quite  alone  on  the  rock  Ahtola,  and  had  nothing 
to  look  at  except  their  little  yellow-brown  dog,  which 
bore  the  grand  name  of  Prince,  their  grass  tufts,  their 
bushes  and  blooms,  the  sea  bays  and  fish,  a  stormy  sky 
and  the  blue,  white-crested  waves.  For  the  rock  lay 
far  away  from  the  land,  and  there  were  no  green  islets 
or  human  habitations  for  miles  round,  only  here  and 
there  appeared  a  rock  of  the  same  red  stone  as  Ahtola, 
besprinkled  day  and  night  with  the  ocean  spray. 

Matte  and  Maie  were  industrious,  hard-working  folk, 
happy  and  contented  in  their  poor  hut,  and  they  thought 
themselves  rich  when  they  were  able  to  salt  as  many 
casks  of  fish  as  they  required  for  winter  and  yet  have 
some  left  over  with  which  to  buy  tobacco  for  the  old 
man,  and  a  pound  or  two  of  coffee  for  his  wife,  with 
plenty  of  burned  corn  and  chicory  in  it  to  give  it  a 
flavour.  Besides  that,  they  had  bread,  butter,  fish,  a 
beer  cask,  and  a  buttermilk  jar  ;  what  more  did  they 
require  ?  All  would  have  gone  well  had  not  Maie  been 
possessed  with  a  secret  longing  which  never  let  her 
rest ;  and  this  was,  how  she  could  manage  to  become 
the  owner  of  a  cow. 

'  What  would  you  do  with  a  cow  ?  '  asked  Matte. 
'  She  could  not  swim  so  far,  and  our  boat  is  not  large 
enough  to  bring  her  over  here  ;  and  even  if  we  had  her, 
we  have  nothing  to  feed  her  on.' 

'  We  have  four  alder  bushes  and  sixteen  tufts  of 
grass,'  rejoined  Maie. 

'  Yes,  of  course,'  laughed  Matte,  '  and  we  have  also 
three  plants  of  garlic.  Garlic  would  be  fine  feeding  for 
her.' 

'  Every  cow  likes  salt  herring,'  rejoined  his  wife. 
'  Even  Prince  is  fond  of  fish.' 

'  That  may  be,'  said  her  husband.  '  Methinks  she 
would  soon  be  a  dear  cow  if  we  had  to  feed  her  on  salt 


218  THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT 

herring.  All  very  well  for  Prince,  who  fights  with  the 
gulls  over  the  last  morsel.  Put  the  cow  out  of  your 
head,  mother,  we  are  very  well  off  as  we  are.' 

Maie  sighed.  She  knew  well  that  her  husband  was 
right,  but  she  could  not  give  up  the  idea  of  a  cow.  The 
buttermilk  no  longer  tasted  as  good  as  usual  in  the 
coffee ;  she  thought  of  sweet  cream  and  fresh  butter, 
and  of  how  there  was  nothing  in  the  world  to  be  com- 
pared with  them. 

One  day  as  Matte  and  his  wife  were  cleaning  herring 
on  the  shore  they  heard  Prince  barking,  and  soon  there 
appeared  a  gaily  painted  boat  with  three  young  men  in 
it,  steering  towards  the  rock.  They  were  students,  on 
a  boating  excursion,  and  wanted  to  get  something  to 
eat. 

'  Bring  us  a  junket,  good  mother,'  cried  they  to 
Maie. 

'  Ah  !  if  only  I  had  such  a  thing  !  '  sighed  Maie. 

*  A  can  of  fresh  milk,  then,'  said  the  students  ;   '  but 
it  must  not  be  skim.' 

'  Yes,  if  only  I  had  it ! '  sighed  the  old  woman,  still 
more  deeply. 

'  What !   haven't  you  got  a  cow  ?  ' 

Maie  was  silent.  This  question  so  struck  her  to  the 
heart  that  she  could  not  reply. 

'  We  have  no  cow,'  Matte  answered  ;  '  but  we  have 
good  smoked  herring,  and  can  cook  them  in  a  couple  of 
hours.' 

*  All  right,  then,  that  will  do,'  said  the  students,  as 
they  flung  themselves  down  on  the  rock,  while  fifty 
silvery-white  herring  were  turning  on  the  spit  in  front  of 
the  fire. 

'  What's  the  name  of  this  little  stone  in  the  middle 
of  the  ocean  ?  '  asked  one  of  them. 

*  Ahtola,'  answered  the  old  man. 

'  Well,  you  should  want  for  nothing  when  you  live 
in  the  Sea  King's  dominion.' 


THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT  219 

Matte  did  not  understand.  He  had  never  read 
Kalevala  and  knew  nothing  of  the  sea  gods  of  old,  but 
the  students  proceeded  to  explain  to  him.* 

'  Ahti,'  said  they,  '  is  a  mighty  king  who  lives  in  his 
dominion  of  Ahtola,  and  has  a  rock  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  and  possesses  besides  a  treasury  of  good  things.  He 
rules  over  all  fish  and  animals  of  the  deep  ;  he  has  the 
finest  cows  and  the  swiftest  horses  that  ever  chewed 
grass  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  He  who  stands  well 
with  Ahti  is  soon  a  rich  man,  but  one  must  beware  in 
dealing  with  him,  for  he  is  very  changeful  and  touchy. 
Even  a  little  stone  thrown  into  the  water  might  offend 
him,  and  then  as  he  takes  back  his  gift,  he  stirs  up  the 
sea  into  a  storm  and  drags  the  sailors  down  into  the 
depths.  Ahti  owns  also  the  fairest  maidens,  who  bear  the 
train  of  his  queen  Wellamos,  and  at  the  sound  of  music 
they  comb  their  long,  flowing  locks,  which  glisten  in  the 
water.' 

'  Oh  !  '  cried  Matte,  '  have  your  worships  really  seen 
all  that  ?  ' 

'  We  have  as  good  as  seen  it,'  said  the  students.  '  It 
is  all  printed  in  a  book,  and  everything  printed  is  true.' 

'  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,'  said  Matte,  as  he  shook  his 
head. 

But  the  herring  were  now  ready,  and  the  students 
ate  enough  for  six,  and  gave  Prince  some  cold  meat 
which  they  happened  to  have  in  the  boat.  Prince  sat 
on  his  hind  legs  with  delight  and  mewed  like  a  pussy  cat. 
When  all  was  finished,  the  students  handed  Matte  a 
shining  silver  coin,  and  allowed  him  to  fill  his  pipe  with 
a  special  kind  of  tobacco.  They  then  thanked  him  for 
his  kind  hospitality  and  went  on  their  journey,  much 
regretted  by  Prince,  who  sat  with  a  woeful  expression 
and  whined  on  the  shore  as  long  as  he  could  see  a  flip  of 
the  boat's  white  sail  in  the  distance. 

*  Kalevala  is  a  collection  of  old  Finnish  songs  about  gods  and 
heroes. 


220  THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT 

Male  had  never  uttered  a  word,  but  thought  the 
more.  She  had  good  ears,  and  had  laid  to  heart  the 
story  about  Ahti.  '  How  delightful,'  thought  she  to 
herself,  '  to  possess  a  fairy  cow  !  How  delicious  every 
morning  and  evening  to  draw  milk  from  it,  and  yet 
have  no  trouble  about  the  feeding,  and  to  keep  a  shelf 
near  the  window  for  dishes  of  milk  and  junkets  !  But 
this  will  never  be  my  luck.' 

'  What  are  you  thinking  of  ?  '  asked  Matte. 

*  Nothing,'  said  his  wife  ;  but  all  the  time  she  was 
pondering  over  some  magic  rhymes  she  had  heard  in  her 
childhood  from  an  old  lame  man,  which  were  supposed 
to  bring  luck  in  fishing. 

'  What  if  I  were  to  try  ?  '  thought  she. 

Now  this  was  Saturday,  and  on  Saturday  eveninga 
Matte  never  set  the  herring-net,  for  he  did  not  fish  on 
Sunday.  Towards  evening,  however,  his  wife  said  : 

'  Let  us  set  the  herring-net  just  this  once.' 

'  No,'  said  her  husband,  '  it  is  a  Saturday  night.' 

'  Last  night  was  so  stormy,  and  we  caught  so  little,' 
urged  his  wife  ;  '  to-night  the  sea  is  like  a  mirror,  and 
with  the  wind  in  this  direction  the  herring  are  drawing 
towards  land.' 

'  But  there  are  streaks  in  the  north-western  sky, 
and  Prince  was  eating  grass  this  evening,'  said  the  old 
man. 

'  Surely  he  has  not  eaten  my  garlic,'  exclaimed  the 
old  woman. 

'  No  ;  but  there  will  be  rough  weather  by  to-morrow 
at  sunset,'  rejoined  Matte. 

'  Listen  to  me,'  said  his  wife,  '  we  will  set  only  one 
net  close  to  the  shore,  and  then  we  shall  be  able  to  finish 
up  our  half-filled  cask,  which  will  spoil  if  it  stands  open 
so  long.' 

The  old  man  allowed  himself  to  be  talked  over,  and 
so  they  rowed  out  with  the  net.  When  they  reached 
the  deepest  part  of  the  water,  she  began  to  hum  the 


THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT  221 

words  of  the  magic  rhyme,  altering  the  words  to  suit  the 
longings  of  her  heart  : 

Oh,  Ahti,  with  the  long,  long  beard, 

Who  dwellest  in  the  deep  blue  sea, 
Finest  treasures  have  I  heard, 

And  glittering  fish  belong  to  thee. 
The  richest  pearls  beyond  compare 

Are  stored  up  in  thy  realm  below, 
And  Ocean's  cows  so  sleek  and  fair 

Feed  on  the  grass  in  thy  green  meadow. 


of  the  waters,  far  and  near, 

I  ask  not  of  thy  golden  store, 
I  wish  not  jewels  of  pearl  to  wear, 

Nor  silver  either,  ask  I  for, 
But  one  is  odd  and  even  is  two, 

So  give  me  a  cow,  sea-king  so  bold, 
And  in  return  I'll  give  to  you 

A  slice  of  the  moon,  and  the  sun's  gold. 

'  What's  that  you're  humming  ?  '  asked  the  old 
man. 

'  Oh,  only  the  words  of  an  old  rhyme  that  keeps 
running  in  my  head,'  answered  the  old  woman  ;  and 
she  raised  her  voice  and  went  on  : 

Oh,  Ahti,  with  the  long,  long  beard, 
Who  dwellest  in  the  deep  blue  P3a, 

A  thousand  cows  are  in  thy  herd, 
I  pray  thee  give  one  unto  me. 

'  That's  a  stupid  sort  of  song,'  said  Matte.  '  What 
else  should  one  beg  of  the  sea-king  but  fish  ?  But  such 
songs  are  not  for  Sunday.' 

His  wife  pretended  not  to  hear  him,  and  sang  and 
sang  the  same  tune  all  the  time  they  were  on  the  water. 
Matte  heard  nothing  more  as  he  sat  and  rowed  the 
heavy  boat,  while  thinking  of  his  cracked  pipe  and  the 
fine  tobacco.  Then  they  returned  to  the  island,  and 
soon  after  went  to  bed. 

But  neither  Matte  nor  Maie  could  sleep  a  wink  ;  the 


222  THE  SEA   KING'S  GIFT 

one  thought  of  how  he  had  profaned  Sunday,  and  the 
other  of  Ahti's  cow. 

About  midnight  the  fisherman  sat  up,  and  said  to 
his  wife  : 

'  Dost  thou  hear  anything  ?  ' 

'  No,'  said  she. 

'  I  think  the  twirling  of  the  weathercock  on  the  roof 
bodes  ill,'  said  he  ;  'we  shall  have  a  storm.' 

'  Oh,  it  is  nothing  but  your  fancy,'  said  his  wife. 

Matte  lay  down,  but  soon  rose  again. 

'  The  weathercock  is  squeaking  now,'  said  he. 

'  Just  fancy  !  Go  to  sleep,'  said  his  wife  ;  and  the 
old  man  tried  to. 

For  the  third  time  he  jumped  out  of  bed. 

'  Ho  !  how  the  weather-cock  is  roaring  at  the  pitch 
of  its  voice,  as  if  it  had  a  fire  inside  it !  We  are  going  to 
have  a  tempest,  and  must  bring  in  the  net.' 

Both  rose.  The  summer  night  was  as  dark  as  if  it 
had  been  October,  the  weather-cock  creaked,  and  the 
storm  was  raging  in  every  direction.  As  they  went  out 
the  sea  lay  around  them  as  white  as  snow,  and  the 
spray  was  dashing  right  over  the  fisher-hut.  In  all  his 
life  Matte  had  never  remembered  such  a  night.  To 
launch  the  boat  and  put  to  sea  to  rescue  the  net 
was  a  thing  not  to  be  thought  of.  The  fisherman 
and  his  wife  stood  aghast  on  the  doorstep,  holding  on 
fast  by  the  doorpost,  while  the  foam  splashed  over 
their  faces. 

'  Did  I  not  tell  thee  that  there  is  no  luck  in  Sunday 
fishing  ?  '  said  Matte  sulkily ;  and  his  wife  was  so 
frightened  that  she  never  even  once  thought  of  Ahti's 
cows. 

As  there  was  nothing  to  be  done,  they  went  in. 
Their  eyes  were  heavy  for  lack  of  slumber,  and  they 
slept  as  soundly  as  if  there  had  not  been  such  a  thing 
as  an  angry  sea  roaring  furiously  around  their  lonely 
dwelling.  When  they  awoke,  the  sun  was  high  in  the 


THE  SEA   KING'S  GIFT  223 

heavens,  the  tempest  had  ceased,  and  only  the  swell  of 
the  sea  rose  in  silvery  heavings  against  the  red  rock. 

'  What  can  that  be  ?  '  said  the  old  woman,  as  she 
peeped  out  of  the  door. 

'  It  looks  like  a  big  seal,'  said  Matte. 

'  As  sure  as  I  live,  it's  a  cow  ! '  exclaimed  Maie 


And  certainly  it  was  a  cow,  a  fine  red  cow,  fat  and 
flourishing,  and  looking  as  if  it  had  been  fed  all  its  days 
on  spinach.  It  wandered  peacefully  up  and  down  the 
shore,  and  never  so  much  as  even  looked  at  the  poor 
little  tufts  of  grass,  as  if  it  despised  such  fare. 

Matte  could  not  believe  his  eyes.      But  a  cow  she 
seemed,  and  a  cow  she  was  found  to  be ;  and  when  the  old 


224  THE  SEA   KING'S  GIFT 

woman  began  to  milk  her,  every  pitcher  and  pan,  even 
to  the  baler,  was  soon  filled  with  the  most  delicious 
milk. 

The  old  man  troubled  his  head  in  vain  as  to  how 
she  came  there,  and  sallied  forth  to  seek  for  his  lost  net. 
He  had  not  proceeded  far  when  he  found  it  cast  up  on 
the  shore,  and  so  full  of  fish  that  not  a  mesh  was  visible. 

'  It  is  all  very  fine  to  possess  a  cow,'  said  Matte,  as 
he  cleaned  the  fish  ;  '  but  what  are  we  going  to  feed  her 
on?' 

'  We  shall  find  some  means,'  said  his  wife  ;  and 
the  cow  found  the  means  herself.  She  went  out  and 
cropped  the  seaweed  which  grew  in  great  abundance 
near  the  shore,  and  always  kept  in  good  condition. 
Every  one,  Prince  alone  excepted,  thought  she  was  a 
clever  beast ;  but  Prince  barked  at  her,  for  he  had 
now  got  a  rival. 

From  that  day  the  red  rock  overflowed  with  milk 
and  junkets,  and  every  net  was  filled  with  fish.  Matte 
and  Maie  grew  fat  on  this  fine  living,  and  daily  became 
richer.  She  churned  quantities  of  butter,  and  he  hired 
two  men  to  help  him  in  his  fishing.  The  sea  lay  before 
him  like  a  big  fish  tank,  out  of  which  he  hauled  as  many 
as  he  required  ;  and  the  cow  continued  to  fend  for  her- 
self. In  autumn,  when  Matte  and  Maie  went  ashore, 
the  cow  went  to  sea,  and  in  spring,  when  they  returned 
to  the  rock,  there  she  stood  awaiting  them. 

'  We  shall  reqtrire  a  better  house,'  said  Maie  the  follow- 
ing summer  ;  '  the  old  one  is  too  Small  for  ourselves  and 
the  men.' 

'  Yes,'  said  Matte.  So  he  built  a  large  cottage,  with 
a  real  lock  to  the  door,  and  a  store-house  for  fish  as  well ; 
and  he  and  his  men  caught  such  quantities  of  fish  that 
they  sent  tons  of  salmon,  herring,  and  cod  to  Russia  and 
Sweden. 

'  I  am  quite  overworked  with  so  many  folk,'  said 
Maie  ;  '  a  girl  to  help  me  would  not  come  amiss.' 


THE  SEA   KING'S   GIFT  225 

'  Get  one,  then,'  said  her  husband ;  and  so  they 
hired  a  girl. 

Then  Maie  said  :  '  We  have  too  little  milk  for  all 
these  folk.  Now  that  I  have  a  servant,  with  the  same 
amount  of  trouble  she  could  look  after  three  cows.' 

'  All  right,  then,'  said  her  husband,  somewhat  pro- 
voked, '  you  can  sing  a  song  to  the  fairies.' 

This  annoyed  Maie,  but  nevertheless  she  rowed  out 
to  sea  on  Sunday  night  and  sang  as  before  : 

Oh,  Ahti,  with  the  long,  long  beard, 
«      Who  dwellest  in  the  deep  blue  sea, 
A  thousand  cows  are  in  thy  herd, 
I  pray  thee  give  three  unto  me. 

The  following  morning,  instead  of  one,  three  cows  stood 
on  the  island,  and  they  all  ate  seaweed  and  fended  for 
themselves  like  the  first  one. 

'  Art  thou  satisfied  now  ?  '  said  Matte  to  his  wife. 

'  I  should  be  quite  satisfied,'  said  his  wife,  '  if  only  I 
had  two  servants  to  help,  and  if  I  had  some  finer  clothes. 
Don't  you  know  that  I  am  addressed  as  Madam  ?  ' 

'  Well,  well,'  said  her  husband.  So  Maie  got  several 
servants,  and  clothes  fit  for  a  great  lady. 

'  Everything  would  now  be  perfect  if  only  we  had  a 
little  better  dwelling  for  summer.  You  might  build  us 
a  two-storey  house,  and  fetch  soil  to  make  a  garden. 
Then  you  might  make  a  little  arbour  up  there  to  let  us 
have  a  sea- view  ;  and  we  might  have  a  fiddler  to  fiddle 
to  us  of  an  evening,  and  a  little  steamer  to  take  us  to 
church  in  stormy  weather.' 

'  Anything  more  ?  '  asked  Matte  ;  but  he  did  every- 
thing that  his  wife  wished.  The  rock  Ahtola  became  so 
grand  and  Maie  so  great  that  all  the  sea-urchins  and 
herring  were  lost  in  wonderment.  Even  Prince  was  fed 
on  beefsteaks  and  cream  scones  till  at  last  he  was  as 
round  as  a  butter  jar. 

*  Are  you  satisfied  now  ?  '  asked  Matte. 

L.  Q 


226  THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT 

*  I  should  be  quite  satisfied,'  said  Maie,  '  if  only  I 
had  thirty  cows.     At  least  that  number  is  required  for 
such  a  household.' 

'  Go  to  the  fairies,'  said  Matte. 

His  wife  set  out  in  the  new  steamer  and  sang  to  the 
.sea-king.  Next  morning  thirty  cows  stood  on  the 
shore,  all  finding  food  for  themselves. 

'  Know'st  thou,  good  man,  that  we  are  far  too 
cramped  on  this  wretched  rock,  and  where  am  I  to  find 
room  for  so  many  cows  ?  ' 

'  There  is  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  pump  out  the 
sea.' 

'  Rubbish  ! '  said  his  wife.  '  Who  can  pump  out  the 
*ea?  ' 

'  Try  with  thy  new  steamer,  there  is  a  pump 
in  it.' 

Maie  knew  well  that  her  husband  was  only  making 
fun  of  her,  but  still  her  mind  was  set  upon  the  same 
.subject.  '  I  never  could  pump  the  sea  out,'  thought  she, 
'  but  perhaps  I  might  fill  it  up,  if  I  were  to  make  a  big 
dam.  I  might  heap  up  sand  and  stones,  and  make  our 
island  as  big  again.' 

Maie  loaded  her  boat  with  stones  and  went  out  to 
,sea.  The  fiddler  was  with  her,  and  fiddled  so  finely  that 
Ahti  and  Wellamos  and  all  the  sea's  daughters  rose  to 
the  surface  of  the  water  to  listen  to  the  music. 

'  What  is  that  shining  so  brightly  in  the  waves  ?  ' 
-asked  Mai  3. 

*  That  is  sea  foam  glinting  in  the  sunshine,'  answered 
the  fiddler. 

'  Throw  out  the  stones,'  said  Maie. 

The  people  in  the  boat  began  to  throw  out  the  stones, 
splash,  splash,  right  and  left,  into  the  foam.  One  stone 
hit  the  nose  of  Wellamos's  chief  lady-in-waiting,  another 
.scratched  the  sea  queen  herself  on  the  cheek,  a  third 
plumped  close  to  Ahti's  head  and  tore  off  half  of  the 
.sea-king's  beard  ;  then  there  was  a  commotion  in  the 


THE  SEA   KING'S  GIFT  227 

sea,  the  waves  bubbled  and  bubbled  like  boiling  water  in 
a  pot. 

*  Whence  comes  this  gust  of  wind  ?  '   said  Maie  ; 
and  as  she  spoke  the  sea  opened  and  swallowed  up  the 
steamer.     Maie  sank  to  the  bottom  like  a  stone,  but, 
stretching  out  her  arms  and  legs,  she  rose  to  the  surface, 
where  she  found  the  fiddler's  fiddle,  and  used  it  as  a 
float.     At  the  same  moment  she  saw  close  beside  her 
the   terrible  head  of  Ahti,   and   he  had  only  half  a 
beard  ! 

*  Why  did  you  throw  stones  at  me  ?  '  roared  the  sea- 
king. 

'  Oh,  your  majesty,  it  was  a  mistake  !  Put  some 
bear's  grease  on  your  beard  and  that  will  soon  make  it 
grow  again.' 

'  Dame,  did  I  not  give  you  all  you  asked  for — nay, 
even  more  ?  ' 

'  Truly,  truly,  your  majesty.  Many  thanks  for  the, 
cows.' 

'  Well,  \vhere  is  the  gold  from  the  sun  and  the  silver 
from  the  moon  that  you  promised  me  ?  ' 

'  Ah,  your  majesty,  they  have  been  scattered  day 
and  night  upon  the  sea,  except  when  the  sky  was 
overcast,'  slyly  answered  Maie. 

'  I'll  teach  you  !  '  roared  the  sea-king  ;  and  with 
that  he  gave  the  fiddle  such  a  *  puff  '  that  it  sent  the  old 
woman  up  like  a  sky-rocket  on  to  her  island.  There 
Prince  lay,  as  famished  as  ever,  gnawing  the  carcase  of 
a  crow.  There  sat  Matte  in  his  ragged  grey  jacket, 
quite  alone,  on  the  steps  of  the  old  hut,  mending  a  net. 

'  Heavens,  mother,'  said  he,  '  where  are  you  coming 
from  at  such  a  whirlwind  pace,  and  what  makes  you  in 
such  a  dripping  condition  ?  ' 

Maie  looked  around  her  amazed,  and  said,  '  Where 
is  our  two-storey  house  ?  ' 

'  What  house  ?  '  asked  her  husband. 

'  Our  big  house,  and  the  flower  garden,  and  the  men 

Q2 


228  THE  SEA  KING'S  GIFT 

and  the  maids,  and  the  thirty  beautiful  cows,  and  the 
steamer,  and  everything  else  ?  ' 

'  You  are  talking  nonsense,  mother,'  said  he.  '  The 
students  have  quite  turned  your  head,  for  you  sang  silly 
songs  last  evening  while  we  were  rowing,  and  then  you 
could  not  sleep  till  early  morning.  We  had  stormy 
weather  during  the  night,  and  when  it  wras  past  I  did 
not  wish  to  waken  you,  so  rowed  out  alone  to  rescue  the 
net.' 

'  But  I've  seen  Ahti,'  rejoined  Maie. 

'  You've  been  lying  in  bed,  dreaming  foolish  fancies, 
mother,  and  then  in  your  sleep  you  walked  into  the 
water.' 

'  But  there  is  the  fiddle,'  said  Maie. 

'  A  fine  fiddle  !  It  is  only  an  old  stick.  No,  no,  old 
woman,  another  time  we  will  be  more  careful.  Good 
luck  never  attends  fishing  on  a  Sunday.' 

From  Z.  Topelius. 


THE  RASPBERRY   WORM 

*  PHEW  !  '  cried  Lisa. 

'  Ugh  ! '  cried  Aina. 

'  What  now  ?  '  cried  the  big  sister. 

'  A  worm  !  '  cried  Lisa. 

'  On  the  raspberry  !  '  cried  Aina. 

'  Kill  it !  '  cried  Otto. 

'  What  a  fuss  over  a  poor  little  worm  !  '  said  the  big 
sister  scornfully. 

'  Yes,  when  we  had  cleaned  the  raspberries  so  care- 
fully,' said  Lisa. 

'  It  crept  out  from  that  very  large  one,'  put  in  Aina. 

'  And  supposing  someone  had  eaten  the  raspberry,' 
said  Lisa. 

'  Then  they  would  have  eaten  the  worm,  too,'  said 
Aina. 

*  Well,  what  harm  ?  '  said  Otto. 

'  Eat  a  worm  !  '  cried  Lisa. 

'  And  kill  him  with  one  bite  !  '  murmured  Aina. 

'  Just  think  of  it !  '  said  Otto  laughing. 

'  Now  it  is  crawling  on  the  table,'  cried  Aina  again. 

'  Blow  it  away  !  '  said  the  big  sister. 

'  Tramp  on  it  !  '  laughed  Otto. 

But  Lisa  took  a  raspberry  leaf,  swept  the  worm  care- 
fully on  to  the  leaf  and  carried  it  out  into  the  yard. 
Then  Aina  noticed  that  a  sparrow  sitting  on  the  fence  was 
just  getting  ready  to  pounce  on  the  poor  little  worm,  so 
she  took  up  the  leaf,  carried  it  out  into  the  wood  and  hid 
it  under  a  raspberry  bush  where  the  greedy  sparrow 


230  THE  RASPBERRY   WORM 

could  not  find  it,  Yes,  and  what  more  is  there  to  tell 
about  a  raspberry  worm  ?  Who  would  give  three  straws 
for  such  a  miserable  little  thing  ?  Yes,  but  who  would 
not  like  to  live  in  such  a  pretty  home  as  it  lives  in  ;  in 
such  a  fresh  fragrant  dark- red  cottage,  far  away  in  the 
quiet  wood  among  flowers  and  green  leaves  ! 

Now  it  was  just  dinner  time,  so  they  all  had  a  dinner 
of  raspberries  and  cream.  '  Be  careful  with  the  sugar, 
Otto,'  said  the  big  sister ;  but  Otto's  plate  was  like  a 
snowdrift  in  winter,  with  just  a  little  red  under  the 
snow. 

Soon  after  dinner  the  big  sister  said  :  '  Now  we  have 
eaten  up  the  raspberries  and  we  have  none  left  to  make 
preserve  for  the  winter ;  it  would  be  fine  if  we  could  get 
two  baskets  full  of  berries,  then  we  could  clean  them  this 
evening,  and  to-morrow  wre  could  cook  them  in  the  big 
preserving  pan,  and  then  we  should  have  raspberry 
jam  to  eat  on  our  bread  !  ' 

'  Come,  let  us  go  to  the  wood  and  pick,'  said  Lisa. 

'  Yes,  let  us,'  said  Aina.  '  You  take  the  yellow 
basket  and  I  will  take  the  green  one.' 

'  Don't  get  lost,  and  come  back  safely  in  the  evening,' 
said  the  big  sister. 

'  Greetings  to  the  raspberry  worm,'  said  Otto,  mock- 
ingly. '  Next  time  I  meet  him  I  shall  do  him  the  honour 
of  eating  him  up.' 

So  Aina  and  Lisa  went  off  to  the  wood.  Ah  !  how 
delightful  it  was  there,  how  beautiful !  It  was  certainly 
tiresome  sometimes  climbing  over  the  fallen  trees,  and 
getting  caught  in  the  branches,  and  waging  war  with 
the  juniper  bushes  and  the  midges,  but  what  did  that 
matter  ?  The  girls  climbed  well  in  their  short  dresses, 
and  soon  they  were  deep  in  the  wood. 

There  were  plenty  of  bilberries  and  elder  berries,  but 
no  raspberries.  They  wandered  on  and  on,  and  at  last 
they  came  .  .  .  No,  it  could  not  be  true  !  .  .  .  they 
came  to  a  large  raspberry  wood.  The  wood  had  been  on 


THE  RASPBERRY   WORM  231 

fire  once,  and  now  raspberry  bushes  had  grown  up,  and 
there  were  raspberry  bushes  and  raspberry  bushes  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  see.  Every  bush  was  weighed  to  the 
ground  with  the  largest,  dark  red,  ripe  raspberries,  such 
a  wealth  of  berries  as  two  little  berry  pickers  had  never 
found  before  ! 

Lisa  picked,  Aina  picked.  Lisa  ate,  Aina  ate,  and  in 
a  little  while  their  baskets  were  full. 

'  Now  we  shall  go  home,'  said  Aina.  '  No,  let  us 
gather  a  few  more,'  said  Lisa.  So  they  put  the  baskets 
down  on  the  ground  and  began  to  fill  their  pinafores,, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  their  pinafores  were  full,  too. 

'  Now  \ve  shall  go  home,'  said  Lisa.  '  Yes,  now  we 
shall  go  home,'  said  Aina.  Both  girls  took  a  basket  in 
one  hand  and  held  up  her  apron  in  the  other  and  then 
turned  to  go  home.  But  that  was  easier  said  than  done. 
They  had  never  been  so  far  in  the  great  wood  before, 
they  could  not  find  any  road  nor  path,  and  soon  the  girls 
noticed  that  they  had  lost  their  way. 

The  worst  of  it  was  that  the  shadows  of  the  trees 
were  becoming  so  long  in  the  evening  sunlight,  the  birds 
were  beginning  to  fly  home,  and  the  day  was  closing  in. 
At  last  the  sun  went  down  behind  the  pine  tops,  and  it 
was  cool  and  dusky  in  the  great  wood. 

The  girls  became  anxious  but  went  steadily  on, 
expecting  that  the  wood  would  soon  end,  and  that 
they  would  see  the  smoke  from  the  chimneys  of  their 
home. 

After  they  had  wandered  on  for  a  long  time  it  began 
to  grow  dark.  At  last  they  reached  a  great  plain  over- 
grown with  bushes,  and  when  they  looked  around  them, 
they  saw,  as  much  as  they  could  in  the  darkness,  that 
they  were  among  the  same  beautiful  raspberry  bushes 
from  which  they  had  picked  their  baskets  and  their 
aprons  full.  Then  they  were  so  tired  that  they  sat  down 
on  a  stone  and  began  to  cry. 

'  I  am  so  hungry,'  said  Lisa. 


232  THE  RASPBERRY   WORM 

'  Yes,'  said  Aina,  '  if  we  had  only  two  good  meat 
sandwiches  now.' 

As  she  said  that,  she  felt  something  in  her  hand,  and 
when  she  looked  down,  she  saw  a  large  sandwich  of 
bread  and  chicken,  and  at  the  same  time  Lisa  said  : 
'  How  very  queer  !  I  have  a  sandwich  in  my  hand .' 

'  And  I,  too,'  said  Aina.     '  Will  you  dare  to  eat  it  ?  ' 

'  Of  course  I  will,'  said  Lisa.  '  Ah,  if  we  only  had  a 
good  glass  of  milk  now  !  ' 

Just  as  she  said  that  she  felt  a  large  glass  of  milk 
between  her  fingers,  and  at  the  same  time  Aina  cried 
out,  '  Lisa  !  Lisa  !  I  have  a  glass  of  milk  in  my  hand  ! 
Isn't  it  queer  ?  ' 

The  girls,  however,  were  very  hungry,  so  they  ate  and 
drank  with  a  good  appetite.  When  they  had  finished 
Aina  yawned,  stretched  out  her  arms  and  said  :  '  Oh,  if 
only  we  had  a  nice  soft  bed  to  sleep  on  now  ! ' 

Scarcely  had  she  spoken  before  she  felt  a  nice  soft 
bed  by  her  side,  and  there  beside  Lisa  was  one  too. 
This  seemed  to  the  girls  more  and  more  wonderful,  but 
tired  and  sleepy  as  they  were,  they  thought  no  more 
about  it,  but  crept  into  the  little  beds,  drew  the  coverlets 
over  their  heads  and  were  soon  asleep. 

When  they  awoke  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens, 
the  wood  was  beautiful  in  the  summer  morning,  and  the 
birds  were  flying  about  in  the  branches  and  the  tree 
tops. 

At  first  the  girls  were  filled  with  wonder  when  they 
saw  that  they  had  slept  in  the  wood  among  the  raspberry 
bushes.  They  looked  at  each  other,  they  looked  at  their 
beds,  which  were  of  the  finest  flax  covered  over  with 
leaves  and  moss.  At  last  Lisa  said  :  '  Are  you  awake, 
Aina  ?  ' 

'  Yes,'  said  Aina. 

'  But  I  am  still  dreaming,'  said  Lisa. 

'  No,'  said  Aina,  '  but  there  is  certainly  some  good 
fairy  living  among  these  raspberry  bushes.  Ah,  if  we 


THE  RASPBERRY   WORM 


233 


had  only  a  hot  cup  of  coffee  now,  and  a  nice  piece  of 
white  bread  to  dip  into  it ! ' 

Scarcely  had  she  finished  speaking  when  she  saw 
beside  her  a  little  silver  tray  with  a  gilt  coffee-pot,  twro 
cups  of  rare  porcelain,  a  sugar  basin  of  fine  crystal,  silver 
sugar  tongs,  and  some  good  fresh  white  bread.  The  girls 
poured  out  the  beautiful  coffee,  put  in  the  cream  and 


sugar,  and  tasted  it ;  never  in  their  lives  had  they  drunk 
such  beautiful  coffee. 

'  Now  I  should  like  to  know  very  much  who  has  given 
us  all  this,'  said  Lisa  gratefully. 

'  I  have,  my  little  girls,'  said  a  voice  just  then  from, 
the  bushes. 

The  children  looked  round  wonderingly,  and  saw  a 


234  THE  RASPBERRY   WORM 

little  kind-looking  old  man,  in  a  white  coat  and  a  red 
cap,  limping  out  from  among  the  bushes,  for  he  was  lame 
in  his  left  foot ;  neither  Lisa  nor  Aina  could  utter  a  word, 
they  were  so  filled  with  surprise. 

'  Don't  be  afraid,  little  girls,'  he  said  smiling  kindly  at 
them ;  he  could  not  laugh  properly  because  his  mouth 
was  crooked.  '  Welcome  to  my  kingdom  !  Have  you 
slept  well  and  eaten  well  and  drunk  well  ?  '  he  asked. 

'  Yes,  indeed  we  have,'  said  both  the  girls,  '  but  tell 
us  .  .  .  '  and  they  wanted  to  ask  who  the  old  man  was, 
but  were  afraid  to. 

'  I  will  tell  you  who  I  am,'  said  the  old  man  ;  '  I  am 
the  raspberry  king,  who  reigns  over  all  this  kingdom  of 
raspberry  bushes,  and  I  have  lived  here  for  more  than  a 
thousand  years.  But  the  great  spirit  wrho  rules  over  the 
woods,  and  the  sea,  and  the  sky,  did  not  want  me  to  be- 
come proud  of  my  royal  power  and  my  long  life.  There- 
fore he  decreed  that  one  day  in  every  hundred  years 
I  should  change  into  a  little  raspberry  worm,  and  live 
in  that  wreak  and  helpless  form  from  sunrise  till  sunset. 
During  that  time  my  life  is  dependent  on  the  little  worm's 
life,  so  that  a  bird  can  eat  me,  a  child  can  pick  me  with 
the  berries  and  trample  under  foot  my  thousand  years 
of  life.  Now  yesterday  was  just  my  transformation  day, 
and  I  was  taken  with  the  raspberry  and  would  have 
been  trampled  to  death  if  you  had  not  saved  my  life. 
Until  sunset  I  lay  helpless  in  the  grass,  and  when  I  was 
swept  away  from  your  table  I  twisted  one  of  my  feet, 
and  my  mouth  became  crooked  with  terror  ;  but  when 
evening  came  and  I  could  take  my  own  form  again,  I 
looked  for  you  to  thank  you  and  reward  you.  Then  I 
found  you  both  here  in  my  kingdom,  and  tried  to  meet 
you  both  as  well  as  I  could  without  frightening  you. 
Now  I  will  send  a  bird  from  my  wood  to  show  you  the 
way  home.  Good-bye,  little  children,  thank  you  for 
your  kind  hearts ;  the  raspberry  king  can  show  that  he 
is  not  ungrateful.'  The  children  shook  hands  with  the 


THE  RASPBERRY   WORM  235 

old  man  and  thanked  him,  feeling  very  glad  that  they 
had  saved  the  little  raspberry  worm.  They  were  just 
going  when  the  old  man  turned  round,  smiled  mis- 
chievously with  his  crooked  mouth,  and  said  :  '  Greetings 
to  Otto  from  me,  and  tell  him  when  I  meet  him  again 
I  shall  do  him  the  honour  of  eating  him  up.' 

'  Oh,  please  don't  do  that,'  cried  both  the  girls,  very 
frightened. 

'  Well,  for  your  sake  I  will  forgive  him,'  said  the  old 
man,  '  I  am  not  revengeful.  Greetings  to  Otto  and  tell 
him  that  he  may  expect  a  gift  from  me,  too.  Good- 
bye.' 

The  two  girls,  light  of  heart,  now  took  their  berries 
and  ran  off  through  the  wood  after  the  bird  ;  and  soon 
it  began  to  get  lighter  in  the  wood  and  they  wondered 
how  they  could  have  lost  their  way  yesterday,  it  seemed 
so  easy  and  plain  now. 

One  can  imagine  what  joy  there  was  when  the  two 
reached  home.  Everyone  had  been  looking  for  them, 
and  the  big  sister  had  not  been  able  to  sleep,  for  she 
thought  the  wolves  had  eaten  them  up. 

Otto  met  them  ;  he  had  a  basket  in  his  hand  and  said  : 
'  Look,  here  is  something  that  an  old  man  has  just  left 
for  you.' 

When  the  girls  looked  into  the  basket  they  saw  a- 
pair  of  most  beautiful  bracelets  of  precious  stones,  dark 
red,  and  made  in  the  shape  of  a  ripe  raspberry  and  with 
an  inscription  :  '  To  Lisa  and  Aina ' ;  beside  them  there 
was  a  diamond  breast  pin  in  the  shape  of  a  raspberry 
worm :  on  it  was  inscribed  'Otto,  never  destroy  the 
helpless  !  ' 

Otto  felt  rather  ashamed  :  he  quite  understood  what 
it  meant,  but  he  thought  that  the  old  man's  revenge  was 
a  noble  one. 

The  raspberry  king  had  also  remembered  the  big 
sister,  for  when  she  went  in  to  set  the  table  for  dinner,  she 
found  eleven  big  baskets  of  most  beautiful  raspberries, 


236  THE  RASPBERRY   WORM 

and  no  one  knew  how  they  had  come  there,  but  every- 
one guessed. 

And  so  there  was  such  a  jam-making  as  had  never 
been  seen  before,  and  if  you  like  to  go  and  help  in  it,  you 
might  perhaps  get  a  little,  for  they  must  surely  be  making 
jam  still  to  this  very  day. 

From  Z.  Topelius. 


THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU  H  IN  EG 

PERHAPS  some  of  you  may  have  read  a  book  called 
'  Kenneth  ;  or  the  Rear-Guard  of  the  Grand  Army  ' 
of  Napoleon.  If  so,  you  will  remember  how  the  two 
Scotch  children  found  in  Russia  were  taken  care  of  by 
the  French  soldiers  and  prevented  as  far  as  possible 
from  suffering  from  the  horrors  of  the  terrible  Retreat. 
One  of  the  soldiers,  a  Breton,  often  tried  to  make  them 
forget  how  cold  and  hungry  they  were  by  telling  them 
tales  of  his  native  country,  Brittany,  which  is  full  of 
wonderful  things.  The  best  and  warmest  place  round 
the  camp  fire  was  always  given  to  the  children,  but 
even  so  the  bitter  frost  would  cause  them  to  shiver. 
It  was  then  that  the  Breton  would  begin  :  '  Plouhinec 
is  a  small  town  near  Hennebonne  by  the  sea,'  and 
would  continue  until  Kenneth  or  Effie  would  inter- 
rupt him  with  an  eager  question.  Then  he  forgot 
how  his  mother  had  told  him  the  tale,  and  was,  obliged 
to  begin  all  over  again,  so  the  story  lasted  a  long  while, 
ind  by  the  time  it  was  ended  the  children  were  ready 
co  be  rolled  up  in  whatever  coverings  could  be  found, 
and  go  to  sleep. 

It  is  this  story  that  I  am  going  to  tell  to  you. 

Plouhinec  is  a  small  town  near  Hennebonne  by  the 
sea.  Around  it  stretches  a  desolate  moor,  where  no  corn 
can  be  grown,  and  the  grass  is  so  coarse  that  no  beast 
grows  fat  on  it.  Here  and  there  are  scattered  groves, 
of  fir  trees,  and  small  pebbles  are  so  thick  on  the  ground 


238          THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU  H  IN  EC 

that  you  might  almost  take  it  for  a  beach.  On  the 
further  side,  the  fairies,  or  korigans,  as  tho  people  called 
them,  had  set  up  long  long  ago  two  rows  of  huge  stones  ; 
indeed,  so  tall  and  heavy  were  they,  that  it  seemed  as  if 
&\\  the  fames  in  the  world  could  not  have  placed  them 
upright. 

Not  far  off  from  this  great  stone  avenue,  and  on  the 
banks  of  the  little  river  Intel,  there  lived  a  man  named 
Marzinne  and  his  sister  Rozennik.  They  always  had 
•enough  black  bread  to  eat,  and  wooden  shoes  or  sabots 
to  wear,  and  a  pig  to  fatten,  so  the  neighbours  thought 
them  quite  rich ;  and  what  was  still  better,  they  thought 
themselves  rich  also. 

Rozennik  was  a  pretty  girl,  who  knew  how  to  make 
the  best  of  everything,  and  she  could,  if  she  wished, 
have  chosen  a  husband  from  the  young  men  of  Plou- 
linec,  but  she  cared  for  none  of  them  except  Bernez, 
whom  she  had  played  with  all  her  life,  and  Bernez, 
though  he  worked  hard,  was  so  very  very  poor  that 
Marzinne  told  him  roughly  he  must  look  elsewhere  for 
a  wife.  But  whatever  Marzinne  might  say  Rozennik 
smiled  and  nodded  to  him  as  before,  and  would  often  turn 
her  head  as  she  passed,  and  sing  snatches  of  old  songs 
•over  her  shoulder. 

Christmas  Eve  had  come,  and  all  the  men  who  worked 
under  Marzinne  or  on  the  farms  round  about  were 
gathered  in  the  large  kitchen  to  eat  the  soup  flavoured 
with  honey  followed  by  rich  puddings,  to  which  they 
were  always  invited  on  this  particular  night.  In  the 
middle  of  the  table  was  a  large  wooden  bowl,  with 
wooden  spoons  placed  in  a  circle  round  it,  so  that 
each  might  dip  in  his  turn.  The  benches  were  filled, 
and  Marzinne  was  about  to  give  the  signal,  when  the 
door  was  suddenly  thrown  open,  and  an  old  man  came  in, 
wishing  the  guests  a  good  appetite  for  their  supper. 
'There  was  a  pause,  and  some  of  the  faces  looked  a  little 


THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU  BIN  EC          239 

frightened  ;  for  the  new  comer  was  well  known  to  them 
as  a  beggar,  who  was  also  said  to  be  a  wizard  who  cast 
spells  over  the  cattle,  and  caused  the  corn  to  grow  black, 
and  old  people  to  die,  of  what,  nobody  knew.  Still, 
it  was  Christmas  Eve,  and  besides  it  was  as  well  not 
to  offend  him,  so  the  farmer  invited  him  in,  and  gave 
him  a  seat  at  the  table  and  a  wooden  spoon  like  the 
rest. 

There  was  not  much  talk  after  the  beggar's  entrance, 
and  everyone  was  glad  when  the  meal  came  to  an  end, 
and  the  beggar  asked  if  he  might  sleep  in  the  stable,  as 
he  should  die  of  cold  if  he  were  left  outside.  Rather 
unwillingly  Marzinne  gave  him  leave,  and  bade  Bernez 
take  the  key  and  unlock  the  door.  There  was  certainly 
plenty  of  room  for  a  dozen  beggars,  for  the  only  occu- 
pants of  the  stable  were  an  old  donkey  and  a  thin  ox ; 
and  as  the  night  was  bitter,  the  wizard  lay  down  between 
them  for  warmth,  with  a  sack  of  reeds  for  a  pillow. 

He  had  walked  far  that  day,  and  even  wizards  get 
tired  sometimes,  so  in  spite  of  the  hard  floor  he  was  just 
dropping  off  to  sleep,  when  midnight  struck  from  the 
church  tower  of  Plouhinec.  At  this  sound  the  donkey 
raised  her  head  and  shook  her  ears,  and  turned  towards 
the  ox. 

'  Well,  my  dear  cousin,'  said  she,  '  and  how  have  you 
fared  since  last  Christmas  Eve,  when  we  had  a  conveisa- 
tion  together  ?  ' 

Instead  of  answering  at  once,  the  ox  eyed  the 
beggar  with  a  long  look  of  disgust. 

'  What  is  the  use  of  talking,'  he  replied  roughly, 
'  when  a  good-for-nothing  creature  like  that  can  hear 
all  we  say  ? ' 

'  Oh,  you  mustn't  lose  time  in  grumbling,'  rejoined 
the  donkey  gaily,  '  and  don't  you  see  that  the  wizard  is 
a,sleep  ?  ' 

'  His  wicked  pranks  do  not  make  him  rich,  certainly,' 
said  the  ox,  '  and  he  isn't  even  clever  enough  to  have 


240  THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU  H  IN  EC 

found  out  what  a  piece  of  luck  might  befall  him  a  week 
hence.' 

'  What  piece  of  luck  ?  '  asked  the  donkey. 

'  Why,  don't  you  know,'  inquired  the  ox, '  that  once 
every  hundred  years  the  stones  on  Plouhinec  heath 
go  down  to  drink  at  the  river,  and  that  while  they  are 
away  the  treasures  underneath  them  are  uncovered  ?  ' 

'  Ah,  I  remember  now,'  replied  the  donkey,  '  but  the 
stones  return  so  quickly  to  their  places,  that  you  certainly 
would  be  crushed  to  death  unless  you  have  in  your  hands 
a  bunch  of  crowsfoot  and  of  five-leaved  trefoil.' 

'  Yes,  but  that  is  not  enough,'  said  the  ox ;  '  even  sup- 
posing you  get  safely  by,  the  treasures  you  have  brought 
with  you  will  crumble  into  dust  if  you  do  not  give  in 
exchange  a  baptised  soul.  It  is  needful  that  a  Christian 
should  die  before  you  can  enjoy  the  wealth  of  Plouhinec.' 

The  donkey  was  about  to  ask  some  further  questions, 
when  she  suddenly  found  herself  unable  to  speak  :  the 
time  allowed  them  for  conversation  was  over. 

1  Ah,  my  dear  creatures,'  thought  the  beggar,  who 
had  of  course  heard  everything,  '  you  are  going  to  make 
me  richer  than  the  richest  men  of  Vannes  or  Lorient. 
But  I  have  no  time  to  lose  ;  to-morrow  I  must  begin  to 
hunt  for  the  precious  plants.' 

He  did  not  dare  to  seek  too  near  Plouhinec,  lest 
somebody  who  knew  the  story  might  guess  what  he 
was  doing,  so  he  went  away  further  towards  the  south, 
where  the  air  was  softer  and  the  plants  are  always 
green.  From  the  instant  it  was  light,  till  the  last  rays 
had  faded  out  of  the  sky,  he  searched  every  inch  of  ground 
where  the  magic  plants  might  grow  ;  he  scarcely  gave 
himself  a  minute  to  eat  and  drink,  but  at  length  he 
found  the  crowsfoot  in  a  little  hollow  !  Well,  that  was 
certainly  a  great  deal,  but  after  all,  the  crowsfoot  was  of 
no  use  without  the  trefoil,  and  there  was  so  little  time 
left. 


THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU  H  IN  EC  241 

He  had  almost  given  up  hope,  when  on  the  very  last 
day  before  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  start  for 
Plouhinec,  he  came  upon  a  little  clump  of  trefoil,  half 
hidden  under  a  rock.  Hardly  able  to  breathe  from 
excitement,  he  sat  down  and  hunted  eagerly  through  the 
plant  which  he  had  torn  up.  Leaf  after  leaf  he  threw 
aside  in  disgust,  and  he  had  nearly  reached  the  end 
when  he  gave  a  cry  of  joy — the  five-leaved  trefoil  was  in 
his  hand. 

The  beggar  scrambled  to  his  feet,  and  without  a  pause 
walked  quickly  down  the  road  that  led  northwards. 
The  moon  was  bright,  and  for  some  hours  he  kept  steadily 
on,  not  knowing  how  many  miles  he  had  gone,  nor  even 
feeling  tired.  By  and  bye  the  sun  rose,  and  the  world 
began  to  stir,  and  stopping  at  a  farmhouse  door,  he  asked 
for  a  cup  of  milk  and  slice  of  bread  and  permission  to 
rest  for  a  while  in  the  porch.  Then  he  continued  his 
journey,  and  so,  towards  sunset  on  New  Year's  Eve,  he 
came  back  to  Plouhinec. 

As  he  was  passing  the  long  line  of  stones,  he  saw 
Bernez  working  with  a  chisel  on  the  tallest  of  them  all. 

'  What  are  you  doing  there  ?  '  called  the  wizard, 
'  do  you  mean  to  hollow  out  for  yourself  a  bed  in  that 
huge  column  ? ' 

'  No,'  replied  Bernez  quietly,  '  but  as  I  happened  to 
have  no  work  to  do  to-day,  I  thought  I  would  just  carve 
a  cross  on  this  stone.  The  holy  sign  can  never  come  amiss.' 

'  I  believe  you  think  it  will  help  you  to  win  Rozennik,' 
laughed  the  old  man. 

Bernez  ceased  his  task  for  a  moment  to  look  at  him. 

'  Ah,  so  you  know  about  that,'  replied  he ;  '  unluckily 
Marzinne  wants  a  brother-in-law  who  has  more  pounds 
than  I  have  pence.' 

'  And  suppose  I  were  to  give  you  more  pounds  than 
Marzinne  ever  dreamed  of  ?  '  whispered  the  sorcerer, 
glancing  round  to  make  sure  that  no  one  overheard  him. 

L.  B 


242  THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU  H  IN  EC 

'  You  ? ' 

'  Yes,  I.' 

'  And  what  am  I  to  do  to  gain  the  money,'  inquired 
Bernez,  who  knew  quite  well  that  the  Breton  peasant 
gives  nothing  for  nothing. 

'  What  I  want  of  you  only  needs  a  little  courage,' 
answered  the  old  man. 

'  If  that  is  all,  tell  me  what  I  have  got  to  do,  and  I 
will  do  it,'  cried  Bernez,  letting  fall  his  chisel.  '  If  I 
have  to  risk  thirty  deaths,  I  am  ready.' 

When  the  beggar  knew  that  Bernez  would  give  him 
no  trouble,  he  told  him  how,  during  that  very  night, 
the  treasures  under  the  stones  would  be  uncovered,  and 
how  in  a  very  few  minutes  they  could  take  enough  to 
make  them  both  rich  for  life.  But  he  kept  silence  as  to 
the  fate  that  awaited  the  man  who  was  without  the 
crowsfoot  and  the  trefoil,  and  Bernez  thought  that 
nothing  but  boldness  and  quickness  were  necessary.  So 
he  said : 

'  Old  man,  I  am  grateful,  indeed,  for  the  chance  you 
have  given  me,  and  there  will  always  be  a  pint  of  my 
blood  at  your  service.  Just  let  me  finish  carving  this 
cross.  It  is  nearly  done,  and  I  will  join  you  in  the 
fir  wood  at  whatever  hour  you  please.' 

'  You  must  be  there  without  fail  an  hour  before  mid- 
night,' answered  the  wizard,  and  went  on  his  way. 

As  the  hour  struck  from  the  great  church  at  Plou- 
hinec,  Bernez  entered  the  wood.  He  found  the  beggar 
already  there  with  a  bag  in  each  hand,  and  a  third  slung 
round  his  neck. 

'  You  are  punctual,'  said  the  old  man,  'but  we  need 
not  start  just  yet.  You  had  better  sit  down  and  think 
what  you  will  do  when  your  pockets  are  filled  with  gold 
and  silver  and  jewels.' 

'  Oh,  it  won't  take  me  long  to  plan  out  that,'  returned 

~D  fi-nn  nrr    iirid-V.     n     1  ,•!  '    T    ciVvnll     rrli-rr.    T?  /-v  n  ™->  r,  i  1  j-    nrmitirt  1-ii  n  rr 


THE  STONES  OF  PLOUHINEC          243 

she  can  desire,  dresses  of  all  sorts,  from  cotton  to  silk, 
and  good  things  of  all  kinds  to  eat,  from  white  bread  to 
oranges.' 

'  The  silver  you  find  will  pay  for  all  that,  and  what 
about  the  gold  ?  ' 

'  With  the  gold  I  shall  make  rich  Rozennik's  relations 
and  every  friend  of  hers  in  the  parish,'  replied  he. 

'  So  much  for  the  gold  ;  and  the  jewels  ?  ' 

'  Then,'  cried  Bernez,  '  I  will  divide  the  jewels  amongst 
everybody  in  the  world,  so  that  they  may  be  wealthy 
and  happy  ;  and  I  will  tell  them  that  it  is  Rozennik 
who  would  have  it  so.' 

'Hush!  it  is  close  on  midnight — we  must  go,'  whis- 
pered the  wizard,  and  together  they  crept  to  the  edge 
of  the  wood. 

With  the  first  stroke  of  twelve  a  great  noise  arose 
over  the  silent  heath,  and  the  earth  seemed  to  rock  under 
the  feet  of  the  two  watchers.  The  next  moment  by  the 
light  of  the  moon  they  beheld  the  huge  stones  near  them 
leave  their  places  and  go  down  the  slope  leading  to  the 
river,  knocking  against  each  other  in  their  haste.  Pass- 
ing the  spot  where  stood  Bernez  and  the  beggar,  they 
were  lost  in  the  darkness.  It  seemed  as  if  a  procession 
of  giants  had  gone  by. 

'  Quick,'  said  the  wizard,  in  a  low  voice,  and  he  rushed 
towards  the  empty  holes,  which  even  in  the  night  shone 
brightly  from  the  treasures  within  them.  Flinging 
himself  on  his  knees,  the  old  man  began  filling  the 
wallets  he  had  brought,  listening  intently  all  the  time 
for  the  return  of  the  stones  up  the  hill,  while  Bernez  more 
slowly  put  handfuls  of  all  he  could  see  into  his  pockets. 

The  sorcerer  had  just  closed  his  third  wallet,  and  was 
beginning  to  wonder  if  he  could  carry  away  any  more 
treasures  when  a  low  murmur  as  of  a  distant  storm 
broke  upon  his  ears. 

The  stones  had  finished  drinking,  and  were  hastening 
back  to  their  places. 


244          THE  STONES  OF  P  LOU H  IN  EC 

On  they  came,  bent  a  little  forward,  the  tallest  of 
them  all  at  their  head,  breaking  everything  that  stood 
in  their  way.  At  the  sight  Bernez  stood  transfixed  with 
horror,  and  said, 

'  We  are  lost !     They  will  crush  us  to  death.' 

'  Not  me  ! '  answered  the  sorcerer,  holding  up  the 
crowsfoot  and  the  five-leaved  trefoil,  '  for  these  will  pre- 
serve me.  But  in  order  to  keep  my  riches,  I  was  obliged 
to  sacrifice  a  Christian  to  the  stones,  and  an  evil  fate- 
threw  you  in  my  way.'  And  as  he  spoke  he  stretched 
out  the  magic  herbs  to  the  stones,  which  were  advancing 
rapidly.  As  if  acknowledging  a  power  greater  than 
theirs,  the  monstrous  things  instantly  parted  to  the 
right  and  left  of  the  wizard,  but  closed  their  ranks  again 
as  they  approached  Bernez. 

The  young  man  did  not  try  to  escape,  he  knew  it  was 
useless,  and  sank  on  his  knees  and  closed  his  eyes.  But 
suddenly  the  tall  stone  that  was  leading  stopped  straight 
in  front  of  Bernez,  so  that  no  other  could  get  past. 

It  was  the  stone  on  which  Bernez  had  carved  the 
cross,  and  it  was  now  a  baptized  stone,  and  had  power  to 
save  him. 

So  the  stone  remained  before  the  young  man  till  the 
rest  had  taken  their  places,  and  then,  darting  like  a  bird 
to  its  own  hole,  came  upon  the  beggar,  who,  thinking 
himself  quite  safe,  was  staggering  along  under  the 
weight  of  his  treasures. 

Seeing  the  stone  approaching,  he  held  out  the  magic 
herbs  which  he  carried,  but  the  baptized  stone  was  no 
longer  subject  to  the  spells  that  bound  the  rest,  and 
passed  straight  on  its  way,  leaving  the  wizard  crushed 
into  powder  in  the  heather. 

Then  Bernez  went  home,  and  showed  his  wealth  to 
Marzinne,  who  this  time  did  not  refuse  him  as  a  brother- 
in-law,  and  he  and  Rozennik  were  married,  and  lived 
happy  for  ever  after. 

Fr«Tvi   'T.a  Frvcer  RrA-fcnn  '  nar  'Rtnilfi  Snnvf>K+.rf> 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS 

PERONNIK  was  a  poor  idiot  who  belonged  to  nobody, 
and  he  would  have  died  of  starvation  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  kindness  of  the  village  people,  who  gave 
him  food  whenever  he  chose  to  ask  for  it.  And  as  for  a 
bed,  when  night  came,  and  he  grew  sleepy,  he  looked 
about  for  a  heap  of  straw,  and  making  a  hole  in  it, 
crept  in,  like  a  lizard.  Idiot  though  he  was,  he  was 
never  unhappy,  but  always  thanked  gratefully  those 
who  fed  him,  and  sometimes  would  stop  for  a  little 
and  sing  to  them.  For  he  could  imitate  a  lark  so  well, 
that  no  one  knew  which  was  Peronnik  and  which  was 
the  bird. 

He  had  been  wandering  in  a  forest  one  day  for 
several  hours,  and  when  evening  approached,  he  sud- 
denly felt  very  hungry.  Luckily,  just  at  that  place 
the  trees  grew  thinner,  and  he  could  see  a  small  farm- 
house a  little  way  off.  Peronnik  went  straight  towards 
it,  and  found  the  farmer's  wife  standing  at  the  door 
holding  in  her  hands  the  large  bowl  out  of  which  her 
children  had  eaten  their  supper. 

'  I  am  hungry,  will  you  give  me  something  to  eat  ? ' 
asked  the  boy. 

'  If  you  can  find  anything  here,  you  are  welcome 
to  it,'  answered  she,  and,  indeed,  there  was  not  much 
left,  as  everybody's  spoon  had  dipped  in.  But  Peronnik 
ate  what  was  there  with  a  hearty  appetite,  and  thought 
that  he  had  never  tasted  better  food. 

'  It  is  made  of  the  finest  flour  and  mixed  with  the 


246     THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS 

richest  milk  and  stirred  by  the  best  cook  in  all  the 
countryside,'  and  though  he  said  it  to  himself,  the 
woman  heard  him. 

'  Poor  innocent,'  she  murmured,  '  he  does  not  know 
what  he  is  saying,  but  I  will  cut  him  a  slice  of  that 
new  wheaten  loaf,'  and  so  she  did,  and  Peronnik  ate 
up  every  crumb,  and  declared  that  nobody  less  than 
the  bishop's  baker  could  have  baked  it.  This  flattered 
the  farmer's  wife  so  much  that  she  gave  him  some  butter 
to  spread  on  it,  and  Peronnik  was  still  eating  it  on  the 
doorstep  when  an  armed  knight  rode  up. 

'  Can  you  tell  me  the  way  to  the  castle  of  Kerglas  ?  * 
asked  he. 

'  To  Kerglas  ?  are  you  really  going  to  Kerglas  ?* 
cried  the  woman,  turning  pale. 

'  Yes  ;  and  in  order  to  get  there  I  have  come  from 
a  country  so  far  off  that  it  has  taken  me  three  months' 
hard  riding  to  travel  as  far  as  this.' 

'  And  why  do  you  want  to  go  to  Kerglas  ?  '  said 
she. 

'  I  am  seeking  the  basin  of  gold  and  the  lance  of 
diamonds  which  are  in  the  castle,'  he  answered.  Then 
Peronnik  looked  up. 

'  The  basin  and  the  lance  are  very  costly  things,' 
he  said  suddenly. 

'  More  costly  and  precious  than  all  the  crowns  in 
the  world,'  replied  the  stranger,  '  for  not  only  will  the 
basin  furnish  you  with  the  best  food  that  you  can 
dream  of,  but  if  you  drink  of  it,  it  will  cure  you  of 
any  illness  however  dangerous,  and  will  even  bring  the 
dead  back  to  life,  if  it  touches  their  mouths.  As  to  the 
diamond  lance,  that  will  cut  through  any  stone  or 
metal.' 

'  And  to  whom  do  these  wonders  belong  ?  '  asked 
Peronnik  in  amazement. 

'  To  a  magician  named  Rogear  who  lives  in  the 
castle,'  answered  the  woman.  '  Every  day  he  passes 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS  247 

along  here,  mounted  on  a  black  mare,  with  a  colt 
thirteen  months  old  trotting  behind.  But  no  one  dares 
to  attack  him,  as  he  always  carries  his  lance.' 

'  That  is  true,'  said  the  knight,  '  but  there  is  a 
spell  laid  upon  him  which  forbids  his  using  it  within 
the  castle  of  Kerglas.  The  moment  he  enters,  the  basin 
and  lance  are  put  away  in  a  dark  cellar  which  no  key 
but  one  can  open.  And  that  is  the  place  where  I  wish 
to  fight  the  magician.' 

'  You  will  never  overcome  him,  Sir  Knight,'  replied 
the  woman,  shaking  her  head.  '  More  than  a  hundred 
gentlemen  have  ridden  past  this  house  bent  on  the 
same  errand,  and  not  one  has  ever  come  back.' 

'  I  know  that,  good  woman,'  returned  the  knight, 
'  but  then  they  did  not  have,  like  me,  instructions  from 
the  hermit  of  Blavet.' 

'  And  what  did  the  hermit  tell  you  ?  '  asked  Peron- 
nik. 

'  He  told  me  that  I  should  have  to  pass  through  a 
wood  full  of  all  sorts  of  enchantments  and  voices,  which 
would  try  to  frighten  me  and  make  me  lose  my  way. 
Most  of  those  who  have  gone  before  me  have  wandered 
they  know  not  where,  and  perished  from  cold,  hunger, 
or  fatigue.' 

'  Well,  suppose  you  get  through  safely  ?  '  said  the 
idiot. 

'  If  I  do,'  continued  the  knight,  '  I  shall  then  meet 
a  sort  of  fairy  armed  with  a  needle  of  fire  which  burns 
to  ashes  all  it  touches.  This  dwarf  stands  guarding  an 
apple-tree,  from  which  I  am  bound  to  pluck  an  apple.' 

'  And  next  ?  '  inquired  Peronnik. 

'  Next  I  shall  find  the  flower  that  laughs,  protected 
by  a  lion  whose  mane  is  formed  of  vipers.  I  must  pluck 
that  flower,  and  go  on  to  the  lake  of  the  dragons  and 
fight  the  black  man  who  holds  in  his  hand  the  iron  ball 
which  never  misses  its  mark  and  returns  of  its  own 
accord  to  its  master.  After  that,  I  enter  the  valley  of 


248     THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS 

pleasure,  where  some  who  conquered  all  the  other 
obstacles  have  left  their  bones.  If  I  can  win  through 
this,  I  shall  reach  a  river  with  only  one  ford,  where  a 
lady  in  black  will  be  seated.  She  will  mount  my  horse 
behind  me,  and  tell  me  what  I  am  to  do  next.' 

He  paused,  and  the  woman  shook  her  head. 

'  You  will  never  be  able  to  do  all  that,'  said  she, 
but  he  bade  her  remember  that  these  were  only  matters 
for  men,  and  galloped  away  down  the  path  she  pointed 
out. 

The  farmer's  wife  sighed  and,  giving  Peronnik  some 
more  food,  bade  him  good-night.  The  idiot  rose  and  was 
opening  the  gate  which  led  into  the  forest  when  the 
farmer  himself  came  up. 

'  I  want  a  boy  to  tend  my  cattle,'  he  said  abruptly, 
'  as  the  one  I  had  has  run  away.  Will  you  stay  and 
do  it  ?  '  and  Peronnik,  though  he  loved  his  liberty  and 
hated  work,  recollected  the  good  food  he  had  eaten, 
and  agreed  to  stop. 

At  sunrise  he  collected  his  herd  carefully  and  led 
them  to  the  rich  pasture  which  lay  along  the  borders 
of  the  forest,  cutting  himself  a  hazel  wand  with  which 
to  keep  them  in  order. 

His  task  was  not  quite  so  easy  as  it  looked,  for  the 
cows  had  a  way  of  straying  into  the  wood,  and  by  the 
time  he  had  brought  one  back  another  was  off.  He 
had  gone  some  distance  into  the  trees,  after  a  naughty 
black  cow  which  gave  him  more  trouble  than  all  the 
rest,  when  he  heard  the  noise  of  horse's  feet,  and  peeping 
through  the  leaves  he  beheld  the  giant  Rogear  seated 
on  his  mare,  with  the  colt  trotting  behind.  Round  the 
giant's  neck  hung  the  golden  bowl  suspended  from  a 
chain,  and  in  his  hand  he  grasped  the  diamond  lance, 
which  gleamed  like  fire.  But  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of 
sight  the  idiot  sought  in  vain  for  traces  of  the  path  he 
had  taken. 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS  249 

This  happened  not  only  once  but  many  times,  till 
Peronnik  grew  so  used  to  him  that  he  never  troubled  to 
hide.  But  on  each  occasion  he  saw  him  the  desire  to 
possess  the  bowl  and  the  lance  became  stronger. 

One  evening  the  boy  was  sitting  alone  on  the  edge 
of  the  forest,  when  a  man  with  a  white  beard  stopped 
beside  him.  '  Do  you  want  to  know  the  way  to  Ker- 
glas  ?  '  asked  the  idiot,  and  the  man  answered  '  I  know 
it  well.' 

'  You  have  been  there  without  being  killed  by  the 
magician  ?  '  cried  Peronnik. 

'  Oh  !  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  me,'  replied  the 
white-bearded  man,  '  I  am  Rogear's  elder  brother,  the 
wizard  Bryak.  When  I  wish  to  visit  him  I  always  pass 
this  way,  and  as  even  I  cannot  go  through  the  en- 
chanted wood  without  losing  myself,  I  call  the  colt  to 
guide  me.'  Stooping  down  as  he  spoke  he  traced  three 
circles  on  the  ground  and  murmured  some  words  very 
low,  which  Peronnik  could  not  hear.  Then  he  added 
aloud : 

Colt,  free  to  run  and  free  to  eat, 
Colt,  gallop  fast  until  we  meet, 

and  instantly  the  colt  appeared,  frisking  and  jumping 
to  the  wizard,  who  threw  a  halter  over  his  neck  and 
leapt  on  his  back. 

Peronnik  kept  silence  at  the  farm  about  this  ad- 
venture, but  he  understood  very  well  that  if  he  was 
ever  to  get  to  Kerglas  he  must  first  catch  the  colt 
which  knew  the  way.  Unhappily  he  had  not  heard  the 
magic  words  uttered  by  the  wizard,  and  he  could  not 
manage  to  draw  the  three  circles,  so  if  he  was  to  summon 
the  colt  at  all  he  must  invent  some  other  means  of  doing 
it. 

All  day  long,  while  he  was  herding  the  cows,  he 
thought  and  thought  how  he  was  to  call  the  colt,  for 


250      THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLA8 

he  felt  sure  that  once  on  its  back  he  could  overcome  the 
other  dangers.  Meantime  he  must  be  ready  in  case  a 
chance  should  come,  and  he  made  his  preparations  at 
night,  when  everyone  was  asleep.  Remembering  what 
he  had  seen  the  wizard  do,  he  patched  up  an  old  halter 
that  was  hanging  in  a  corner  of  the  stable,  twisted  a 
rope  of  hemp  to  catch  the  colt's  feet,  and  a  net  such 
as  is  used  for  snaring  birds.  Next  he  sewed  roughly 
together  some  bits  of  cloth  to  serve  as  a  pocket,  and 
this  he  filled  with  glue  and  lark's  feathers,  a  string  of 
beads,  a  whistle  of  elder  wood,  and  a  slico  of  bread 
rubbed  over  with  bacon  fat.  Then  he  went  out  to  the 
path  down  which  Rogear,  his  mare,  and  the  colt  always 
rode,  and  crumbled  the  bread  on  one  side  of  it. 

Punctual  to  their  hour  all  three  appeared,  eagerly 
watched  by  Peronnik,  who  lay  hid  in  the  bushes  close 
by.  Suppose  it  was  useless  ;  suppose  the  mare,  and  not 
the  colt,  ate  the  crumbs  ?  Suppose — but  no  !  the  mare 
and  her  rider  went  safely  by,  vanishing  round  a  corner, 
while  the  colt,  trotting  along  with  its  head  on  the 
ground,  smelt  the  bread,  and  began  greedily  to  lick  up 
the  pieces.  Oh,  how  good  it  was  !  Why  had  no  one 
ever  given  it  that  before,  and  so  absorbed  was  the  little 
beast,  sniffing  about  after  a  few  more  crumbs,  that  it 
never  heard  Peronnik  creep  up  till  it  felt  the  halter 
on  its  neck  and  the  rope  round  its  feet,  and — in  another 
moment — some  one  on  its  back. 

Going  as  fast  as  the  hobbles  would  allow,  the  colt 
turned  into  one  of  the  wildest  parts  of  the  forest,  while 
its  rider  sat  trembling  at  the  strange  sights  he  saw. 
Sometimes  the  earth  seemed  to  open  in  front  of  them 
and  he  was  looking  into  a  bottomless  pit ;  sometimes 
the  trees  burst  into  flames  and  he  found  himself  in  the 
midst  of  a  fire  ;  often  in  the  act  of  crossing  a  stream 
the  water  rose  and  threatened  to  sweep  him  away  ; 
and  again,  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  great  rocks  would 
roll  towards  him,  as  if  they  would  crush  him  and  his 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS  251 

colt  beneath  their  weight.  To  his  dying  day  Peronnik 
never  knew  whether  these  things  were  real  or  if  he  only 
imagined  them,  but  he  pulled  down  his  knitted  cap 
so  as  to  cover  his  eyes,  and  trusted  the  colt  to  carry  him 
down  the  right  road. 

At  last  the  forest  was  left  behind,  and  they  came 
out  on  a  wide  plain  where  the  air  blew  fresh  and  strong. 
The  idiot  ventured  to  peep  out,  and  found  to  his  relief 
that  the  enchantments  seemed  to  have  ended,  though 
a  thrill  of  horror  shot  through  him  as  he  noticed  the 
skeletons  of  men  scattered  over  the  plain,  beside  the 
skeletons  of  their  horses.  And  what  were  those  grey 
forms  trotting  away  in  the  distance  ?  Were  they — could 
they  be — wolves  ? 

But  vast  though  the  plain  seemed,  it  did  not  take 
long  to  cross,  and  very  soon  the  colt  entered  a  sort  of 
shady  park  in  which  was  standing  a  single  apple-tree, 
its  branches  bowed  down  to  the  ground  with  the  weight 
of  its  fruit.  In  front  was  the  korigan — the  little  fairy 
man — holding  in  his  hand  the  fiery  sword,  which  re- 
duced to  ashes  everything  it  touched.  At  the  sight  of 
Peronnik  he  uttered  a  piercing  scream,  and  raised  his 
sword,  but  without  appearing  surprised  the  youth  only 
lifted  his  cap,  though  he  took  care  to  remain  at  a  little 
distance. 

'  Do  not  be  alarmed,  my  prince,'  said  Peronnik,  '  I 
am  just  on  my  way  to  Kerglas,  as  the  noble  Rogear  has 
begged  me  to  come  to  him  on  business.' 

'  Begged  you  to  come  ! '  repeated  the  dwarf,  '  and 
who,  then,  are  you  ?  ' 

'  I  am  the  new  servant  he  has  engaged,  as  you  know 
very  well,'  answered  Peronnik. 

'  I  do  not  know  at  all,'  rejoined  the  korigan  sulkily, 
'  and  you  may  be  a  robber  for  all  I  can  tell.' 

'  I  am  so  sorry,'  replied  Peronnik,  '  but  I  may  be 
wrong  in  calling  myself  a  servant,  for  I  am  only  a 
bird-catcher.  But  do  not  delay  me,  I  pray,  for  his 


252      THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS 

highness  the  magician  expects  me,  and,  as  you  see,  has 
lent  me  his  colt  so  that  I  may  reach  the  castle  all  the 
quicker.' 

At  these  words  the  korigan  cast  his  eyes  for  the 
first  time  on  the  colt,  which  he  knew  to  be  the  one 
belonging  to  the  magician,  and  began  to  think  that  the 
young  man  was  speaking  the  truth.  After  examining 
the  horse,  he  studied  the  rider,  who  had  such  an  innocent, 
and  indeed  vacant,  air  that  he  appeared  incapable  of 
inventing  a  story.  Still,  the  dwarf  did  not  feel  quite 
sure  that  all  was  right,  and  asked  what  the  magician 
wanted  with  a  bird-catcher. 

'  From  what  he  says,  he  wants  one  very  badly,' 
replied  Perronik,  '  as  he  declares  that  all  his  grain  and 
all  the  fruit  in  his  garden  at  Kerglas  are  eaten  up  by 
the  birds.' 

'  And  how  are  you  going  to  stop  that,  my  fine 
fellow  ?  '  inquired  the  korigan  ;  and  Peronnik  showed 
him  the  snare  he  had  prepared,  and  remarked  that  no 
bird  could  possibly  escape  from  it. 

'That  is  just  what  I  should  like  to  be  sure  of,' 
answered  the  korigan.  '  My  apples  are  completely 
eaten  up  by  blackbirds  and  thrushes.  Lay  your  snare, 
and  if  you  can  manage  to  catch  them,  I  will  let  you 
pass.' 

'  That  is  a  fair  bargain,'  and  as  he  spoke  Peronnik 
jumped  down  and  fastened  his  colt  to  a  tree  ;  then, 
stooping,  he  fixed  one  end  of  the  net  to  the  trunk  of  the 
apple  tree,  and  called  to  the  korigan  to  hold  the  other 
while  he  took  out  the  pegs.  The  dwarf  did  as  he  was 
bid,  when  suddenly  Peronnik  threw  the  noose  over  his 
neck  and  drew  it  close,  and  the  korigan  was  held  as 
fast  as  any  of  the  birds  he  wished  to  snare. 

Shrieking  with  rage,  he  tried  to  undo  the  cord,  but 
he  only  pulled  the  knot  tighter.  He  had  put  down  the 
sword  on  the  grass,  and  Peronnik  had  been  careful  to 
fix  the  net  on  the  other  side  of  the  tree,  so  that  it  was 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS  253 

now  easy  for  him  to  pluck  an  apple  and  to  mount  his 
horse,  without  being  hindered  by  the  dwarf,  whom  he 
left  to  his  fate. 

When  they  had  left  the  plain  behind  them,  Peronnik 
and  his  steed  found  themselves  in  a  narrow  valley  in 
which  was  a  grove  of  trees,  full  of  all  sorts  of  sweet- 
smelling  things — roses  of  every  colour,  yellow  broom, 
pink  honeysuckle — while  above  them  all  towered  a 
wonderful  scarlet  pansy  whose  face  bore  a  strange 
expression.  This  was  the  flower  that  laughs,  and  no 
one  who  looked  at  it  could  help  laughing  too.  Peronnik's 
heart  beat  high  at  the  thought  that  he  had  reached 
safely  the  second  trial,  and  he  gazed  quite  calmly  at  the 
lion  with  the  mane  of  vipers  twisting  and  twirling,  who 
walked  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  grove. 

The  young  man  pulled  up  and  removed  his  cap,  for, 
idiot  though  he  was,  he  knew  that  when  you  have  to 
do  with  people  greater  than  yourself,  a  cap  is  more 
useful  in  the  hand  than  on  the  head.  Then,  after 
wishing  all  kinds  of  good  fortune  to  the  lion  and  his 
family,  he  inquired  if  he  was  on  the  right  road  to 
Kerglas. 

'  And  what  is  your  business  at  Kerglas  ?  '  asked  the 
lion  with  a  growl,  and  showing  his  teeth. 

'  With  all  respect,'  answered  Peronnik,  pretending  to 
be  very  frightened,  '  I  am  the  servant  of  a  lady  who  is. 
a  friend  of  the  noble  Rogear  and  sends  him  some  larks 
for  a  pasty.' 

'  Larks  ?  '  cried  the  lion,  licking  his  long  whiskers. 
'  Why,  it  must  be  a  century  since  I  have  had  any  1 
Have  you  a  large  quantity  with  you  ?  ' 

'  As  many  as  this  bag  will  hold,'  replied  Peronnik, 
opening,  as  he  spoke,  the  bag  which  he  had  filled  with 
feathers  and  glue  ;  and  to  prove  what  he  said,  he 
turned  his  back  on  the  lion  and  began  to  imitate  the 
song  of  a  lark. 


254 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLA8 


'  Come,'  exclaimed  the  lion,  whose  mouth  watered, 

*  show  me  the  birds  !     I  should  like  to  see  if  they  are  fat 
enough  for  my  master.' 

'  I  would  do  it  with  pleasure,'  answered  the  idiot, 

*  but  if  I  once  open  the  bag  they  will  all  fly  away.' 

'  Well,  open  it  wide  enough  for  me  to  look  in,'  said 
the  lion,  drawing  a  little  nearer. 

Now  this  was  just  what  Peronnik  had  been  hoping 
for,  so  he  held  the  bag  while  the  lion  opened  it  care- 


fully  and  put  his  head  right  inside,  so  that  he  might  get 
a  good  mouthful  of  larks.  But  the  mass  of  feathers  and 
glue  stuck  to  him,  and  before  he  could  pull  his  head  out 
again  Peronnik  had  drawn  tight  the  cord,  and  tied  it 
in  a  knot  that  no  man  could  untie.  Then,  quickly 
gathering  the  flower  that  laughs,  he  rode  off  as  fast  as 
the  colt  could  take  him. 

The  path  soon  led  to  the  lake  of  the  dragons,  which 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS  255 

lie  had  to  swim  across.  The  colt,  who  was  accustomed 
to  it,  plunged  into  the  water  without  hesitation  ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  dragons  caught  sight  of  Peronnik  they 
approached  from  all  parts  of  the  lake  in  order  to  devour 
him. 

This  time  Peronnik  did  not  trouble  to  take  off  his 
cap,  but  he  threw  the  beads  he  carried  with  him  into 
the  water,  as  you  throw  black  corn  to  a  duck,  and»with 
each  bead  that  he  swallowed  a  dragon  turned  on  his 
back  and  died,  so  that  the  idiot  reached  the  other  side 
without  further  trouble. 

The  valley  guarded  by  the  black  man  now  lay 
before  him,  and  from  afar  Peronnik  beheld  him,  chained 
by  one  foot  to  a  rock  at  the  entrance,  and  holding  the 
iron  ball  which  never  missed  its  mark  and  always  re- 
turned to  its  master's  hand.  In  his  head  the  black  man 
had  six  eyes  that  were  never  all  shut  at  once,  but  kept 
watch  one  after  the  other.  At  this  moment  they  were 
all  open,  and  Peronnik  knew  well  that  if  the  black  man 
caught  a  glimpse  of  him  he  would  cast  his  ball.  So, 
hiding  the  colt  behind  a  thicket  of  bushes,  he  crawled 
along  a  ditch  and  crouched  close  to  the  very  rock  to 
which  the  black  man  was  chained. 

The  day  was  hot,  and  after  a  while  the  man  began 
to  grow  sleepy.  Two  of  his  eyes  closed,  and  Peronnik 
sang  gently.  In  a  moment  a  third  eye  shut,  and 
Peronnik  sang  on.  The  lid  of  a  fourth  eye  dropped 
heavily,  and  then  those  of  the  fifth  and  the  sixth.  The 
black  man  was  asleep  altogether. 

Then,  on  tiptoe,  the  idiot  crept  back  to  the  colt, 
which  he  led  over  soft  moss  past  the  black  man  into  the 
vale  of  pleasure,  a  delicious  garden  full  of  fruits  that 
dangled  before  your  mouth,  fountains  running  with  wine, 
and  flowers  chanting  in  soft  little  voices.  •  Further  on, 
tables  were  spread  with  food,  and  girls  dancing  on  the 
grass  called  to  him  to  join  them. 

Peronnik  heard,  and,  scarcely  knowing  what  he  did 


256      THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLA8 

drew  the  colt  into  a  slower  pace.  He  sniffed  greedily 
the  smell  of  the  dishes,  and  raised  his  head  the  better 
to  see  the  dancers.  Another  instant  and  he  would  have 
stopped  altogether  and  been  lost,  like  others  before 
him,  when  suddenly  there  came  to  him  like  a  vision 
the  golden  bowl  and  the  diamond  lance.  Drawing  his 
whistle  from  his  pocket,  he  blew  it  loudly,  so  as  to 
drown  the  sweet  sounds  about  him,  and  ate  what  was 
left  of  his  bread  and  bacon  to  still  the  craving  of  the 
magic  fruits.  His  eyes  he  fixed  steadily  on  the  ears  of 
the  colt,  that  he  might  not  see  the  dancers. 

In  this  way  he  was  able  to  reach  the  end  of  the 
garden,  and  at  length  perceived  the  castle  of  Kerglas, 
with  the  river  between  them  which  had  only  one  ford. 
Would  the  lady  be  there,  as  the  old  man  had  told  him  ? 
Yes,  surely  that  was  she,  sitting  on  a  rock,  in  a  black 
satin  dress,  and  her  face  the  colour  of  a  Moorish  woman's. 
The  idiot  rode  up,  and  took  off  his  cap  more  politely 
than  ever,  and  asked  if  she  did  not  wish  to  cross  the 
river. 

'  I  was  waiting  for  you  to  help  me  do  so,'  answered 
she.  '  Come  near,  that  I  may  get  up  behind  you.' 

Peronnik  did  as  she  bade  him,  and  by  the  help 
of  his  arm  she  jumped  nimbly  on  to  the  back  of  the 
colt. 

'  Do  you  know  how  to  kill  the  magician  ?  '  asked 
the  lady,  as  they  were  crossing  the  ford. 

'  I  thought  that,  being  a  magician,  he  was  immortal, 
and  that  no  one  could  kill  him,'  replied  Peronnik. 

'  Persuade  him  to  taste  that  apple,  and  he  will  die, 
and  if  that  is  not  enough  I  will  touch  him  with  my 
finger,  for  I  am  the  plague,'  answered  she. 

'  But  if  I  kill  him,  how  am  I  to  get  the  golden  bowl 
and  the  diamond  lance  that  are  hidden  in  the  cellar 
without  a  key  ?  '  rejoined  Peronnik. 

'  The  flower  that  laughs  opens  all  doors  and  lightens 
all  darkness,'  said  the  lady  ;  and  as  she  spoke,  they 


L. 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERQLAS  259 

reached  the  further  bank,  and  advanced  towards  the 
castle. 

In  front  of  the  entrance  was  a  sort  of  tent  supported 
on  poles,  and  under  it  the  giant  was  sitting,  basking  in 
the  sun.  As  soon  as  he  noticed  the  colt  bearing  Peronnik 
and  the  lady,  he  lifted  his  head,  and  cried  in  a  voice  of 
thunder  : 

'  Why,  it  is  surely  the  idiot,  riding  my  colt  thirteen 
months  old  !  ' 

'  Greatest  of  magicians,  you  are  right,'  answered 
Peronnik. 

'  And  how  did  you  manage  to  catch  him  ?  '  asked  the 
giant. 

'  By  repeating  what  I  learnt  from  your  brother 
Bryak  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,'  replied  the  idiot.  '  I  just 
said — 

Colt,  free  to  run  and  free  to  eat, 
Colt,  gallop  fast  until  we  meet, 

and  it  came  directly.' 

'  You  know  my  brother,  then  ?  '  inquired  the  giant. 
'  Tell  me  why  he  sent  you  here.' 

'  To  bring  you  two  gifts  which  he  has  just  received 
from  the  country  of  the  Moors,'  answered  Peronnik  : 
'  the  apple  of  delight  and  the  woman  of  submission.  If 
you  eat  the  apple  you  will  not  desire  anything  else,  and 
if  you  take  the  woman  as  your  servant  you  will  never 
wish  for  another.' 

'  Well,  give  me  the  apple,  and  bid  the  woman  get 
down,'  answered  Rogear. 

The  idiot  obeyed,  but  at  the  first  taste  of  the  apple 
the  giant  staggered,  and  as  the  long  yellow  finger  of  the 
woman  touched  him  he  fell  dead. 

Leaving  the  magician  where  he  lay,  Peronnik  entered 
the  palace,  bearing  with  him  the  flower  that  laughs. 
Fifty  doors  flew  open  before  him,  and  at  length  he 
reached  a  long  flight  of  steps  which  seemed  to  lead  into 
the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Down  these  he  went  till  he 

82 


260      THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS 

came  to  a  silver  door  without  a  bar  or  key.  Then  he 
held  up  high  the  flower  that  laughs,  and  the  door  slowly 
swung  back,  displaying  a  deep  cavern,  which  was  as 
bright  as  day  from  the  shining  of  the  golden  bowl  and 
the  diamond  lance.  The  idiot  hastily  ran  forward  and 
hung  the  bowl  round  his  neck  from  the  chain  which  was 
attached  to  it,  and  took  the  lance  in  his  hand.  As  he 
did  so,  the  ground  shook  beneath  him,  and  with  an 
awful  rumbling  the  palace  disappeared,  and  Peronnik 
found  himself  standing  close  to  the  forest  where  he  led 
the  cattle  to  graze. 

Though  darkness  was  coming  on,  Peronnik  never 
thought  of  entering  the  farm,  but  followed  the  road 
which  led  to  the  court  of  the  duke  of  Brittany.  As  he 
passed  through  the  town  of  Vannes  he  stopped  at  a 
tailor's  shop,  and  bought  a  beautiful  costume  of  brown 
velvet  and  a  white  horse,  which  he  paid  for  with  a 
handful  of  gold  that  he  had  picked  up  in  the  corridor 
of  the  castle  of  Kerglas.  Thus  he  made  his  way  to  the 
city  of  Nantes,  which  at  that  moment  was  besieged  by 
the  French. 

A  little  way  off,  Peronnik  stopped  and  looked  about 
him.  For  miles  round  the  country  was  bare,  for  the 
enemy  had  cut  down  every  tree  and  burnt  every  blade 
of  corn  ;  and,  idiot  though  he  might  be,  Peronnik  was 
able  to  grasp  that  inside  the  gates  men  were  dying  of 
famine.  He  was  still  gazing  with  horror,  when  a 
trumpeter  appeared  on  the  walls,  and,  after  blowing  a 
loud  blast,  announced  that  the  duke  would  adopt  as  his 
heir  the  man  who  could  drive  the  French  out  of  the 
country. 

On  the  four  sides  of  the  city  the  trumpeter  blew  his 
blast,  and  the  last  time  Peronnik,  who  had  ridden  up 
as  close  as  he  might,  answered  him. 

'  You  need  blow  no  more/  said  he,  '  for  I  myself 
will  free  the  town  from  her  enemies.'  And  turning  to  a 


THE  CASTLE  OF  KERGLAS  261 

soldier  who  came  running  up,  waving  his  sword,  he 
touched  him  with  the  magic  lance,  and  he  fell  dead  on 
the  spot.  The  men  who  were  following  stood  still, 
amazed.  Their  comrade's  armour  had  not  been  pierced, 
of  that  they  were  sure,  yet  he  was  dead,  as  if  he  had  been 
struck  to  the  heart.  But  before  they  had  time  to 
recover  from  their  astonishment,  Peronnik  cried  out  : 

'  You  see  how  my  foes  will  fare  ;  now  behold  what  I 
can  do  for  my  friends,'  and,  stooping  down,  he  laid  the 
golden  bowl  against  the  mouth  of  the  soldier,  who  sat  up 
as  well  as  ever.  Then,  jumping  his  horse  across  the 
trench,  he  entered  the  gate  of  the  city,  which  had 
opened  wide  enough  to  receive  him. 

The  news  of  these  marvels  quickly  spread  through 
the  town,  and  put  fresh  spirit  into  the  garrison,  so  that 
they  declared  themselves  able  to  fight  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  young  stranger.  And  as  the  bowl  restored 
all  the  dead  Bretons  to  life,  Peronnik  soon  had  an  army 
large  enough  to  drive  away  the  French,  and  fulfilled  his 
promise  of  delivering  his  country. 

As  to  the  bowl  and  the  lance,  no  one  knows  what 
became  of  them,  but  some  say  that  Bryak  the  sorcerer 
managed  to  steal  them  again,  and  that  any  one  who 
wishes  to  possess  them  must  seek  them  as  Peronnik  did. 

From  '  Le  Foyer  Breton,'  par  Emile  Souvestre. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS 

THERE  was  to  be  a  great  battle  between  all  the  creatures 
of  the  earth  and  the  birds  of  the  air.  News  of  it  went 
abroad,  and  the  son  of  the  king  of  Tethertown  said  that 
when  the  battle  was  fought  he  would  be  there  to  see  it, 
and  would  bring  back  word  who  was  to  be  king.  But 
in  spite  of  that,  he  was  almost  too  late,  and  every  fight 
had  been  fought  save  the  last,  which  was  between  a 
snake  and  a  great  black  raven.  Both  struck  hard,  but 
in  the  end  the  snake  proved  the  stronger,  and  would 
have  twisted  himself  round  the  neck  of  the  raven  till 
he  died  had  not  the  king's  son  drawn  his  sword,  and  cut 
off  the  head  of  the  snake  at  a  single  blow.  And  when 
the  raven  beheld  that  his  enemy  was  dead,  he  was 
grateful,  and  said  : 

'  For  thy  kindness  to  me  this  day,  I  will  show  thee  a 
sight.  So  come  up  now  on  the  root  of  my  two  wings.' 
The  king's  son  did  as  he  was  bid,  and  before  the  raven 
stopped  flying,  they  had  passed  over  seven  bens  and 
seven  glens  and  seven  mountain  moors. 

'  Do  you  see  that  house  yonder  ?  '  said  the  raven  at 
last.  '  Go  straight  to  it,  for  a  sister  of  mine  dwells 
there,  and  she  will  make  you  right  welcome.  And  if  she 
asks,  "  Wert  thou  at  the  battle  of  the  birds  ?  "  answer 
that  thou  wert,  and  if  she  asks,  "  Didst  thou  see  my 
likeness  ?  "  answer  that  thou  sawest  it,  but  be  sure 
thou  meetest  me  in  the  morning  at  this  place.' 

The  king's  son  followed  what  the  raven  told  him  and 
that  night  he  had  meat  of  each  meat,  and  drink  of  each 
drink,  warm  water  for  his  feet,  and  a  soft  bed  to  lie  in. 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BIRDS 


263 


Thus  it  happened  the  next  day,  and  the  next,  but  on 
the  fourth  morning,  instead  of  meeting  the  raven,  in 
his  place  the  king's  son  found  waiting  for  him  the 


handsomest  youth  that  ever  was  seen,  with  a  bundle  in 
his  hand. 

'  Is  there  a  raven  hereabouts  ?  '  asked  the  king's  son, 
and  the  youth  answered  : 


264  THE  BATTLE  OF   THE  BIRDS 

'  I  am  that  raven,  and  I  was  delivered  by  thee  from 
the  spells  that  bound  me,  and  in  reward  thou  wilt  get 
this  bundle.  Go  back  by  the  road  thou  earnest,  and  lie 
as  before,  a  night  in  each  house,  but  be  careful  not  to 
unloose  the  bundle  till  thou  art  in  the  place  wherein 
thou  wouldst  most  wish  to  dwell.' 

Then  the  king's  son  set  out,  and  thus  it  happened 
as  it  had  happened  before,  till  he  entered  a  thick  wood 
near  his  father's  house.  He  had  walked  a  long  way, 
and  suddenly  the  bundle  seemed  to  grow  heavier  ;  first 
he  put  it  down  under  a  tree,  and  next  he  thought  he 
would  look  at  it. 

The  string  was  easy  to  untie,  and  the  king's  son 
soon  unfastened  the  bundle.  What  was  it  he  saw  there  ? 
Why,  a  great  castle  with  an  orchard  all  about  it,  and 
in  the  orchard  fruit  and  flowers  and  birds  of  every 
kind.  It  wras  all  ready  for  him  to  dwell  in,  but  instead 
of  being  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  he  did  wish  he  had 
left  the  bundle  unloosed  till  he  had  reached  the  green 
valley  close  to  his  father's  palace.  Well,  it  was  no  use 
washing,  and  with  a  sigh  he  glanced  up,  and  beheld  a 
huge  giant  coming  towards  him. 

'  Bad  is  the  place  where  thou  hast  built  thy  house, 
king's  son,'  said  the  giant. 

'  True  ;  it  is  not  here  that  I  wish  it  to  be,'  answered 
the  king's  son. 

'  What  reward  wilt  thou  give  me  if  I  put  it  back 
in  the  bundle  ?  '  asked  the  giant. 

'  What  reward  dost  thou  ask  ?  '•  answered  the  king's 
son. 

'  The  first  boy  thou  hast  when  he  is  seven  years  old,' 
said  the  giant. 

'  If  I  have  a  boy  thou  shalt  get  him,'  answered  the 
king's  son,  and  as  he  spoke  the  castle  and  the  orchard 
were  tied  up  in  the  bundle  again. 

'  Now  take  thy  road,  and  I  will  take  mine,'  said  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS          265 

giant.  '  And  if  thou  forgettest  thy  promise,  /  will 
remember  it.' 

Light  of  heart  the  king's  son  went  on  his  road,  till 
he  came  to  the  green  valley  near  his  father's  palace. 
Slowly  he  unloosed  the  bundle,  fearing  lest  he  should 
find  nothing  but  a  heap  of  stones  or  rags.  But  no  !  all 
was  as  it  had  been  before,  and  as  he  opened  the  castle 
door  there  stood  within  the  most  beautiful  maiden  that 
ever  was  seen. 

'  Enter,  king's  son,'  said  she,  '  all  is  ready,  and  we 
will  be  married  at  once,'  and  so  they  were. 

The  maiden  proved  a  good  wife,  and  the  king's  son, 
now  himself  a  king,  was  so  happy  that  he  forgot  all 
about  the  giant.  Seven  years  and  a  day  had  gone  by, 
when  one  morning,  while  standing  on  the  ramparts,  he 
beheld  the  giant  striding  towards  the  castle.  Then  he 
remembered  his  promise,  and  remembered,  too,  that  he 
had  told  the  queen  nothing  about  it.  Now  he  must  tell 
her,  and  perhaps  she  might  help  him  in  his  trouble. 

Tiie  queen  listened  in  silence  to  his  tale,  and  after  he 
had  finished,  she  only  said  : 

'  Leave  thou  the  matter  between  me  and  the  giant,' 
and  as  she  spoke,  the  giant  entered  the  hall  and  stood 
before  them. 

'  Bring  out  your  son,'  cried  he  to  the  king,  '  as  you 
promised  me  seven  years  and  a  day  since.' 

The  king  glanced  at  his  wife,  who  nodded,  so  he 
answered  : 

'  Let  his  mother  first  put  him  in  order,'  and  the 
queen  left  the  hall,  and  took  the  cook's  son  and  dressed 
him  in  the  prince's  clothes,  and  led  him  up  to  the  giant, 
who  held  his  hand,  and  together  they  went  out  along 
the  road.  They  had  not  walked  far  when  the  giant 
stopped  and  stretched  out  a  stick  to  the  boy. 

'  If  your  father  had  that  stick,  what  would  he  do 
with  it  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  If  my  father  had  that  stick,  he  would  beat   the 


266  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS 

dogs  and  cats  that  steal  the  king's  meat,'  replied 
the  boy. 

'  Thou  art  the  cook's  son  ! '  cried  the  giant.  '  Go 
home  to  thy  mother '  ;  and  turning  his  back  he  strode 
straight  to  the  castle. 

'  If  you  seek  to  trick  me  this  time,  the  highest  stone 
will  soon  be  the  lowest,'  said  he,  and  the  king  and  queen 
trembled,  but  they  could  not  bear  to  give  up  their  boy. 

'  The  butler's  son  is  the  same  age  as  ours,'  whispered 
the  queen  ;  '  he  will  not  know  the  difference,'  and  she 
took  the  child  and  dressed  him  in  the  prince's  clothes, 
and  the  giant  led  him  away  along  the  road.  Before  they 
had  gone  far  he  stopped,  and  held  out  a  stick. 

'  If  thy  father  had  that  rod,  what  would  he  do  with 
it  ?  '  asked  the  giant. 

*  He  would  beat  the  dogs  and  cats  that  break  the 
king's  glasses,'  answered  the  boy. 

'  Thou  art  the  son  of  the  butler ! '  cried  the  giant. 
'  Go  home  to  thy  mother ' ;  and  turning  round  he  strode 
back  angrily  to  the  castle. 

'  Bring  out  thy  son  at  once,'  roared  he,  'or  the 
stone  that  is  highest  will  be  lowest,'  and  this  time  the 
real  prince  was  brought. 

But  though  his  parents  wept  bitterly  and  fancied 
the  child  was  suffering  all  kinds  of  dreadful  things,  the 
giant  treated  him  like  his  own  son,  though  he  never 
allowed  him  to  see  his  daughters.  The  boy  grew  to 
be  a  big  boy,  and  one  day  the  giant  told  him  that  he 
would  have  to  amuse  himself  alone  for  many  hours,  as  he 
had  a  journey  to  make.  So  the  boy  wandered  by  the 
river,  and  down  to  the  sea,  and  at  last  he  wandered  to 
the  top  of  the  castle,  where  he  had  never  been  before. 
There  he  paused,  for  the  sound  of  music  broke  upon  his 
ears,  and  opening  a  door  near  him,  he  beheld  a  girl 
sitting  by  the  window,  holding  a  harp. 

'  Haste  and  begone,  I  see  the  giant  close  at  hand,' 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS          267 

she  whispered  hurriedly,  '  but  when  he  is  asleep,  return, 
hither,  for  I  would  speak  with  thee.'  And  the  prince  did 
as  he  was  bid,  and  when  midnight  struck  he  crept  back 
to  the  top  of  the  castle. 

'  To-morrow,'  said  the  girl,  who  was  the  giant's 
daughter,  '  to-morrow  thou  wilt  get  the  choice  of  my 
two  sisters  to  marry,  but  thou  must  answer  that  thou 
wilt  not  take  either,  but  only  me.  This  will  anger  him 
greatly,  for  he  wishes  to  betroth  me  to  the  son  of  the 
king  of  the  Green  City,  whom  I  like  not  at  all.' 

Then  they  parted,  and  on  the  mopow,  as  the  girl  had 
said,  the  giant  called  his  three  daughters  to  him,  and 
likewise  the  young  prince,  to  whom  he  spoke. 

'  Now,  0  son  of  the  king  of  Tethertown,  the  time 
has  come  for  us  to  part.  Choose  one  of  my  two  elder 
daughters  to  wife,  and  thou  shalt  take  her  to  your  father's 
house  the  day  after  the  wedding.' 

'  Give  me  the  youngest  instead,'  replied  the  youth, 
and  the  giant's  face  darkened  as  he  heard  him. 

'  Three  things  must  thou  do  first,'  said  he. 

'  Say  on,  I  will  do  them,'  replied  the  prince,  and  the 
giant  left  the  house,  and  bade  him  follow  to  the  byre, 
where  the  cows  were  kept. 

'  For  a  hundred  years  no  man  has  swept  this  byre,' 
said  the  giant,  '  but  if  by  nightfall,  when  I  reach  home, 
thou  hast  not  cleaned  it  so  that  a  golden  apple  can  roll 
through  it  from  end  to  end,  thy  blood  shall  pay  for  it.' 

All  day  long  the  youth  toiled,  but  he  might  as  well 
have  tried  to  empty  the  ocean.  At  length,  when  he 
was  so  tired  he  could  hardly  move,  the  giant's  youngest 
daughter  stood  in  the  doorway. 

'  Lay  down  thy  weariness,'  said  she,  and  the  king's 
son,  thinking  he  could  only  die  once,  sank  on  the  floor 
at  her  bidding,  and  fell  sound  asleep.  When  he  woke 
the  girl  had  disappeared,  and  the  byre  was  so  clean  that 
a  golden  apple  could  roll  from  end  to  end  of  it.  He 


268  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS 

jumped  up  in  surprise,  and  at  that  moment  in  came 
the  giant. 

'  Hast  thou  cleaned  the  byre,  king's  son  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  I  have  cleaned  it,'  answered  he. 

'  Well,  since  thou  wert  so  active  to-day,  to-morrow 
thou  wilt  thatch  this  byre  with  a  feather  from  every 
different  bird,  or  else  thy  blood  shall  pay  for  it,'  and  he 
went  out. 

Before  the  sun  was  up,  the  youth  took  his  bow  and 
his  quiver  and  set  off  to  kill  the  birds.  Off  to  the  moor  he 
went,  but  never  a  bird  was  to  be  seen  that  day.  At  last 
he  got  so  tired  with  running  to  and  fro  that  he  gave  up 
heart. 

'  There  is  but  one  death  I  can  die,'  thought  he.  Then 
at  midday  came  the  giant's  daughter. 

'  Thou  art  tired,  king's  son  ?  '  said  she. 

'  I  am,'  answered  he ;  '  all  these  hours  have  I  wan- 
dered, and  there  fell  but  these  two  blackbirds,  both  of 
one  colour.' 

'  Lay  down  thy  weariness  on  the  grass,'  said  she, 
and  he  did  as  she  bade  him,  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

When  he  woke  the  girl  had  disappeared,  and  he  got 
up,  and  returned  to  the  byre.  As  he  drew  near,  he  rubbed 
his  eyes  hard,  thinking  he  was  dreaming,  for  there  it 
was,  beautifully  thatched,  just  as  the  giant  had  wished. 
At  the  door  of  the  house  he  met  the  giant. 

'  Hast  thou  thatched  the  byre,  king's  son  ?  ' 

'  I  have  thatched  it.' 

*  Well,  since  thou  hast  been  so  active  to-day,  I  have 
something  else  for  thee  !  Beside  the  loch  thou  seest 
over  yonder  there  grows  a  fir  tree.  On  the  top  of  the 
fir  tree  is  a  magpie's  nest,  and  in  the  nest  are  five  eggs. 
Thou  wilt  bring  me  those  eggs  for  breakfast,  and  if 
one  is  cracked  or  broken,  thy  blood  shall  pay  for  it.' 

Before  it  was  light  next  day,  the  king's  son  jumped 
out  of  bed  and  ran  down  to  the  loch.  The  tree  was 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS          271 

not  hard  to  fir.d,  for  the  rising  sun  shone  red  on  the 
trunk,  which  was  five  hundred  feet  from  the  ground  to 
its  first  branch.  Time  after  time  ho  walked  round  it, 
trying  to  find  some  knots,  however  small,  where  he 
could  put  his  feet,  but  the  bark  was  quite  smooth,  and 
he  soon  saw  that  if  he  wras  to  reach  the  top  at  all,  it 
must  be  by  climbing  up  with  his  knees  like  a  sailor. 
But  then  he  was  a  king's  son  and  not  a  sailor,  which 
made  all  the  difference. 

However,  it  was  no  use  standing  there  staring  at  the 
fir,  at  least  he  must  try  to  do  his  best,  and  try  he  did 
till  his  hands  and  knees  were  sore,  for  as  soon  as  he 
had  struggled  up  a  few  feet,  he  slid  back  again.  Once 
he  climbed  a  little  higher  than  before,  and  hope  rose 
in  his  heart,  then  down  he  came  with  such  force  that 
his  hands  and  knees  smarted  worse  than  ever. 

'  This  is  no  time  for  stopping,'  said  the  voice  of  the 
giant's  daughter,  as  he  leant  against  the  trunk  to  recover 
his  breath. 

'  Alas  !  I  am  no  sooner  up  than  down,'  answered  he. 

'  Try  once  more,'  said  she,  and  she  laid  a  finger 
against  the  tree  and  bade  him  put  his  foot  on  it.  Then 
she  placed  another  finger  a  little  higher  up,  and  so  on 
till  he  reached  the  top,  where  the  magpie  had  built  her 
nest. 

'  Make  haste  now  with  the  nest,'  she  cried,  '  for  my 
father's  breath  is  burning  my  back,'  and  down  he 
scrambled  as  fast  as  he  could,  but  the  girl's  little  finger 
had  caught  in  a  branch  at  the  top,  and  she  was  obliged 
to  leave  it  there.  But  she  was  too  busy  to  pay 
heed  to  this,  for  the  sun  wras  getting  high  over  the 
hills. 

'  Listen  to  me,'  she  said.  '  This  night  my  twro 
sisters  and  I  will  be  dressed  in  the  same  garments,  and 
you  will  not  know  me.  But  when  my  father  says 
'  Go  to  thy  wife,  king's  son,'  come  to  the  one  whose 
right  hand  has  no  little  finger.' 


272          THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS 

So  he  went  and  gave  the  eggs  to  the  giant,  who 
nodded  his  head. 

'  Make  ready  for  thy  marriage,'  cried  he,  '  for  the 
wedding  shall  take  place  this  very  night,  and  I  will 
summon  thy  bride  to  greet  thee.'  Then  his  three 
daughters  were  sent  for,  and  they  all  entered  dressed  in 
green  silk  of  the  same  fashion,  and  with  golden  circlets 
round  their  heads.  The  king's  son  looked  from  one  to 
another.  Which  was  the  youngest  ?  Suddenly  his  eyes 
fell  on  the  hand  of  the  middle  one,  and  there  was  no 
little  ringer. 

'  Thou  hast  aimed  well  this  time  too,'  said  the  giant, 
as  the  king's  son  laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder,  '  but 
perhaps  we  may  meet  some  other  way ' ;  and  though  he 
pretended  to  laugh,  the  bride  saw  a  gleam  in  his  eye 
which  warned  her  of  danger. 

The  wedding  took  place  that  very  night,  and  the 
hall  was  filled  with  giants  and  gentlemen,  and  they 
danced  till  the  house  shook  from  top  to  bottom.  At 
last  everyone  grew  tired,  and  the  guests  went  away,  and 
the  king's  son  and  his  bride  were  left  alone. 

'  If  we  stay  here  till  dawn  my  father  will  kill  thee,' 
she  whispered,  '  but  thou  art  my  husband  and  I  will  save 
thee,  as  I  did  before,'  and  she  cut  an  apple  into  nine 
pieces,  and  put  two  pieces  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  and 
two  pieces  at  the  foot,  and  two  pieces  at  the  door  of  the 
kitchen,  and  two  at  the  big  door,  and  one  outside  the 
house.  And  when  this  was  done,  and  she  heard  the 
giant  snoring,  she  and  the  king's  son  crept  out  softly 
and  stole  across  to  the  stable,  where  she  led  out  the 
blue-grey  mare  and  jumped  on  its  back,  and  her  husband 
mounted  behind  her.  Not  long  after,  the  giant  awoke. 

'  Are  you  asleep  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  Not  yet,'  answered  the  apple  at  the  head  of  the  bed, 
and  the  giant  turned  over,  and  soon  was  snoring  as 
loudly  as  before.  By  and  bye  he  called  again. 

'  Are  you  asleep  ?  ' 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS          273 

'  Not  yet,'  said  the  apple  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  and 
the  giant  was  satisfied.  After  a  while,  he  called  a  third 
time,  '  Are  you  asleep  ?  ' 

'  Not  yet,'  replied  the  apple  in  the  kitchen,  but  when, 
in  a  few  minutes,  he  put  the  question  for  the  fourth  time 
and  received  an  answer  from  the  apple  outside  the 
house  door,  he  guessed  what  had  happened,  and  ran 
to  the  room  to  look  for  himself. 

The  bed  was  cold  and  empty  ! 

'  My  father's  breath  is  burning  my  back,'  cried  the 
girl,  '  put  thy  hand  into  the  ear  of  the  mare,  and  what- 
ever thou  findest  there,  throw  it  behind  thee.'  And  in 
the  mare's  ear  there  was  a  twig  of  sloe  tree,  and  as  he 
threw  it  behind  him  there  sprung  up  twenty  miles  of 
thornwood  so  thick  that  scarce  a  weasel  could  go  through 
it.  And  the  giant,  who  was  striding  headlong  forwards, 
got  caught  in  it,  and  it  pulled  his  hair  and  beard. 

'  This  is  one  of  my  daughter's  tricks,'  he  said  to 
himself,  '  but  if  I  had  my  big  axe  and  my  wood-knife, 
I  would  not  be  long  making  a  way  through  this,'  and 
off  he  went  home  and  brought  back  the  axe  and  the 
wood-knife. 

It  took  him  but  a  short  time  to  cut  a  road  through 
the  blackthorn,  and  then  he  laid  the  axe  and  the  knife 
under  a  tree. 

'  I  will  leave  them  there  till  I  return,'  he  murmured 
to  himself,  but  a  hoodie  crow,  which  was  sitting  on  a 
branch  above,  heard  him. 

'  If  thou  leavest  them,'  said  the  hoodie,  '  we  will 
steal  them.' 

'  You  will,'  answered  the  giant,  '  and  I  must  take 
them  home.'  So  he  took  them  home,  and  started  afresh 
on  his  journey. 

'  My  father's  breath  is  burning  my  back,'  cried  the 
girl  at  midday.  '  Put  thy  finger  in  the  mare's  ear  and 
throw  behind  thee  whatever  thou  findest  in  it,'  and  the 

L.  T 


274  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS 

king's  son  found  a  splinter  of  grey  stone,  and  threw  it 
behind  him,  and  in  a  twinkling  twenty  miles  of  solid 
rock  lay  between  them  and  the  giant. 

'  My  daughter's  tricks  are  the  hardest  things  that 
ever  met  me,'  said  the  giant, '  but  if  I  had  my  lever  and 
my  crowbar,  I  would  not  be  long  in  making  my  way 
through  this  rock  also,'  but  as  he  had  not  got  them,  he 
had  to  go  home  and  fetch  them.  Then  it  took  him  but 
a  short  time  to  hew  his  way  through  the  rock. 

'  I  will  leave  the  tools  here,'  he  murmured  aloud 
when  he  had  finished. 

'  If  thou  leavest  them,  we  will  steal  them,'  said  a 
hoodie  who  was  perched  on  a  stone  above  him,  and  the 
giant  answered : 

'  Steal  them  if  thou  wilt ;  there  is  no  time  to  go 
back.' 

'  My  father's  breath  is  burning  my  back,'  cried  the 
girl ;  '  look  in  the  mare's  ear,  king's  son,  or  we  are  lost,' 
and  he  looked,  and  found  a  tiny  bladder  full  of  water, 
which  he  threw  behind  him,  and  it  became  a  great  loch. 
And  the  giant,  who  was  striding  on  so  fast,  could  not 
stop  himself,  and  he  walked  right  into  the  middle  and 
was  drowned. 

The  blue-grey  mare  galloped  on  like  the  wind,  and 
the  next  day  the  king's  son  came  in  sight  of  his  father's 
house. 

'  Get  down  and  go  in,'  said  the  bride,  '  and  tell  them 
that  thou  hast  married  me.  But  take  heed  that  neither 
man  nor  beast  kiss  thee,  for  then  thou  wilt  cease  to 
remember  me  at  all.' 

'  I  will  do  thy  bidding,'  answered  he,  and  left  her  at 
the  gate.  All  who  met  him  bade  him  welcome,  and  he 
charged  his  father  and  mother  not  to  kiss  him,  but  as 
he  greeted  them  his  old  greyhound  leapt  on  his  neck, 
and  kissed  him  on  the  mouth.  And  after  that  he  did  not 
remember  the  giant's  daughter. 


THE  BATTLE   OF   THE  BIRDS 


275 


All  that  day  she  sat  on  a  well  which  was  near  the 
gate,  waiting,  waiting,  but  the  king's  son  never  came. 
In  the  darkness  she  climbed  up  into  an  oak  tree  that 
shadowed  the  well,  and  there  she  lay  all  night,  waiting, 
waiting. 

On  the  morrow,  at  midday,  the  wife  of  a  shoemaker 
who  dwelt  near  the  well  went  to  draw  water  for 
her  husband  to  drink,  and  she  saw  the  shadow  of 


the  girl  in  the  tree,  and  thought  it  was  her  own 
shadow. 

'  How  handsome  I  am,  to  be  sure,'  said  she,  gazing 
into  the  well,  and  as  she  stooped  to  behold  herself  better, 
the  jug  struck  against  the  stones  and  broke  in  pieces, 
and  she  was  forced  to  return  to  her  husband  without 
the  water,  and  this  angered  him. 

'  Thou  hast  turned  crazy,'  said  he  in  wrath.  '  Go 
thou,  my  daughter,  and  fetch  me  a  drink,'  and  the  girl 

T2 


276  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIRDS 

went,  and  the  same  thing  befell  her  as  had  befallen  her 
mother. 

'  Where  is  the  water  ?  '  asked  the  shoemaker,  when 
she  came  back,  and  as  she  held  nothing  save  the  handle 
of  the  jug  he  went  to  the  well  himself.  He  too  saw  the 
reflection  Of  the  woman  in  the  tree,  but  looked  up  to 
discover  whence  it  came,  and  there  above  him  sat  the 
most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world. 

'  Come  down,'  he  said,  '  for  a  while  thou  canst  stay 
in  my  house,'  and  glad  enough  the  girl  was  to  come. 

Now  the  king  of  the  country  was  about  to  marry, 
and  the  young  men  about  the  court  thronged  the 
shoemaker's  shop  to  buy  fine  shoes  to  wear  at  the 
wedding. 

'  Thou  hast  a  pretty  daughter,'  said  they  when  they 
beheld  the  girl  sitting  at  work. 

'  Pretty  she  is,'  answered  the  shoemaker,  '  but  no 
daughter  of  mine.' 

'  I  would  give  a  hundred  pounds  to  marry  her,'  said 
one. 

'  And  I,'  '  And  I,'  cried  the  others. 

'  That  is  no  business  of  mine,'  answered  the  shoe- 
maker, and  the  young  men  bade  him  ask  her  if  she 
would  choose  one  of  them  for  a  husband,  and  to  tell  them 
on  the  morrow.  Then  the  shoemaker  asked  her,  and 
the  girl  said  that  she  would  marry  the  one  who  would 
bring  his  purse  with  him.  So  the  shoemaker  hurried 
to  the  youth  who  had  first  spoken,  and  he  came  back, 
and  after  giving  the  shoemaker  a  hundred  pounds  for  his 
news,  he  sought  the  girl,  who  was  waiting  for  him. 

'  Is  it  thou  ?  '  inquired  she.  '  I  am  thirsty,  give  me 
a  drink  from  the  well  that  is  out  yonder/  And  he 
poured  out  the  water,  but  he  could  not  move  trom  the 
place  where  he  was  ;  and  there  he  stayed  till  many 
hours  had  passed  by. 

'  Take  away  that  foolish  boy,'  cried  the  girl  to  the 
shoemaker  at  last,  '  I  am  tired  of  him,'  and  then 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BIEDS          277 

suddenly  he  was  able  to  walk,  and  betook  himself 
to  his  home,  but  he  did  not  tell  the  others  what  had 
happened  to  him. 

Next  day  there  arrived  one  of  the  other  young  men, 
and  in  the  evening,  when  the  shoemaker  had  gone  out 
and  they  were  alone,  she  said  to  him,  '  See  if  the  latch 
is  on  the  door.'  The  young  man  hastened  to  do  her 
bidding,  but  as  soon  as  he  touched  the  latch,  his  fingers 
stuck  to  it,  and  there  he  had  to  stay  for  many  hours, 
till  the  shoemaker  came  back,  and  the  girl  let  him  go. 
Hanging  his  head,  he  went  home,  but  he  told  no  one 
what  had  befallen  him. 

Then  was  the  turn  of  the  third  man,  and  his  foot 
remained  fastened  to  the  floor,  till  the  girl  unloosed  it. 
And  thankfully  he  ran  off,  and  was  not  seen  looking 
behind  him. 

'  Take  the  purse  of  gold,'  said  the  girl  to  the  shoe- 
maker, '  I  have  no  need  of  it,  and  it  will  better  thee.' 
And  the  shoemaker  took  it  and  told  the  girl  he  must 
carry  the  shoes  for  the  wedding  up  to  the  castle. 

'  I  would  fain  get  a  sight  of  the  king's  son  before  he 
marries,'  sighed  she. 

'  Come  with  me,  then,'  answered  he ;  '  the  servants 
are  all  my  friends,  and  they  will  let  you  stand  in  the 
passage  down  which  the  king's  son  will  pass,  and  all  the 
company  too.' 

Up  they  went  to  the  castle,  and  when  the  young 
men  saw  the  girl  standing  there,  they  led  her  into  the 
hall  where  the  banquet  was  laid  out  and  poured  her 
out  some  wine.  She  was  just  raising  the  glass  to  drink 
when  a  flame  went  up  out  of  it,  and  out  of  the  flame 
sprang  two  pigeons,  one  of  gold  and  one  of  silver.  They 
flew  round  and  round  the  head  of  the  girl,  when  three 
grains  of  barley  fell  on  the  floor,  and  the  silver  pigeon 
dived  down,  and  swallowed  them. 

'  If  thou  hadst  remembered  how  I  cleaned  the  byre, 


278  THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BIRDS 

thou  wouldst  have  given  me  my  share,'  cooed  the 
golden  pigeon,  and  as  he  spoke  three  more  grains  fell, 
and  the  silver  pigeon  ate  them  as  before. 

'  If  thou  hadst  remembered  how  I  thatched  the  byre, 
thou  wouldst  have  given  me  my  share,'  cooed  the 
golden  pigeon  again  ;  and  as  he  spoke  three  more  grains 
fell,  and  for  the  third  time  they  were  eaten  by  the  silver 
pigeon. 

'  If  thou  hadst  remembered  how  I  got  the  magpie's 
nest,  thou  wouldst  have  given  me  my  share,'  cooed  the 
golden  pigeon. 

Then  the  king's  son  understood  that  they  had  come 
to  remind  him  of  what  he  had  forgotten,  and  his  lost 
memory  came  back,  and  he  knew  his  wife,  and  kissed  her. 
But  as  the  preparations  had  been  made,  it  seemed  a 
pity  to  waste  them,  so  they  were  married  a  second  time, 
and  sat  down  to  the  wedding  feast. 

From  '  Tales  of  the  West  Highlands.' 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN. 


IN  the  centre  of  the  great  hall  in  the  castle  of  Caerleon 
upon  Usk,  king  Arthur  sat  on  a  seat  of  green  rushes, 
over  which  was  thrown  a  covering  of  flame-coloured  silk, 
and  a  cushion  of  red  satin  lay  under  his  elbow.  With 
him  were  his  knights  Owen  and  Kynon  and  Kai,  while 
at  the  far  end,  close  to  the  window,  were  Guenevere  the 
queen  and  her  maidens  embroidering  white  garments 
with  strange  devices  of  gold. 

'  I  am  weary,'  said  Arthur,  '  and  till  my  food  is 
prepared  I  would  fain  sleep.  You  yourselves  can  tell 
each  other  tales,  and  Kai  will  fetch  you  from  the  kitchen 
a  flagon  of  mead  and  some  meat.' 

And  when  they  had  eaten  and  drunk,  Kynon,  the 
oldest  among  them,  began  his  story. 

'  I  was  the  only  son  of  my  father  and  mother,  and 
much  store  they  set  by  me,  but  I  was  not  content  to 
stay  with  them  at  home,  for  I  thought  no  deed  in  all  the 
world  was  too  mighty  for  me.  None  could  hold  me 
back,  and  after  I  had  won  many  adventures  in  my  own 
land,  I  bade  farewell  to  my  parents  and  set  out  to  see 
the  world.  Over  mountains,  through  deserts,  across 
rivers  I  went,  till  I  reached  a  fair  valley  full  of  trees, 
with  a  path  running  by  the  side  of  a  stream.  I  walked 
along  that  path  all  the  day,  and  in  the  evening  I  came  to 
a  castle  in  front  of  which  stood  two  youths  clothed  in 
yellow,  each  grasping  an  ivory  bow,  with  arrows  made 
of  the  bones  of  the  whale,  and  winged  with  peacock's 


280        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

feathers.  By  their  sides  hung  golden  daggers  with  hilts 
of  the  bones  of  the  whale. 

'  Near  these  young  men  was  a  man  richly  dressed, 
who  turned  and  went  with  me  towards  the  castle, 
where  all  the  dwellers  were  gathered  in  the  hall.  In 
one  window  I  beheld  four  and  twenty  damsels,  and  the 
least  fan*  of  them  was  fairer  than  Guenevere  at  her 
fairest.  Some  took  my  horse,  and  others  unbuckled 
my  armour,  and  washed  it,  with  my  sword  and  spear, 
till  it  all  shone  like  silver.  Then  I  washed  myself  and 
put  on  a  vest  and  doublet  which  they  brought  me,  and 
I  and  the  man  that  entered  with  me  sat  down  before  a 
table  of  silver,  and  a  goodlier  feast  I  never  had. 

'  All  this  time  neither  the  man  nor  the  damsels  had 
spoken  one  word,  but  when  our  dinner  was  half  over, 
and  my  hunger  was  stilled,  the  man  began  to  ask  who  I 
was.  Then  I  told  him  my  name  and  my  father's  name, 
and  why  I  came  there,  for  indeed  I  had  grown  weary  of 
gaining  the  mastery  over  all  men  at  home,  and  sought 
if  perchance  there  was  one  who  could  gain  the  mastery 
over  me.  And  at  this  the  man  smiled  and  answered  : 

'  "  If  I  did  not  fear  to  distress  thee  too  much,  I  would 
show  thee  what  thou  seekest."  His  words  made  me 
sorrowful  and  fearful  of  myself,  which  the  man  perceived, 
and  added,  "  If  thou  meanest  truly  what  thou  sayest, 
and  desirest  earnestly  to  prove  thy  valour,  and  not  to 
boast  vainly  that  none  can  overcome  thee,  I  have  some- 
what to  show  thee.  But  to-night  thou  must  sleep  in 
this  castle,  and  in  the  morning  see  that  thou  risa  early 
and  follow  the  road  upwards  through  the  valley,  until 
thou  reachest  a  wood.  In  the  wood  is  a  path  branching 
to  the  right ;  go  along  this  path  until  thou  comest  to  a 
space  of  grass  with  a  mound  in  the  middle  of  it.  On 
the  top  of  the  mound  stands  a  black  man,  larger  than 
any  two  white  men  ;  his  eye  is  in  the  centre  of  his  fore- 
head and  he  has  only  one  foot.  He  carries  a  club  of 
iron,  and  two  white  men  could  hardly  lift  it.  Around 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        281 

him  graze  a  thousand  beasts,  all  of  different  kinds, 
for  he  is  the  guardian  of  that  wood,  and  it  is  he  who 
will  tell  thee  which  way  to  go  in  order  to  find  the 
adventure  thou  art  in  quest  of." 


MEETS  WITH  TUL  &LACK  MASTED  OF  THL  BE/IST5 


'  So  spake  the  man,  and  long  did  that  night  seem  to 
me,  and  before  dawn  I  rose  and  put  on  my  armour, 
and  mounted  my  horse  and  rode  on  till  I  reached  the 
grassy  space  of  which  he  had  told  me.  There  was  the 


282        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

black  man  on  top  of  the  mound,  as  he  had  said,  and  in 
truth  he  was  mightier  in  all  ways  than  I  had  thought 
him  to  be.  As  for  the  club,  Kai,  it  would  have  been 
a  burden  for  four  of  our  warriors.  He  waited  for  me 
to  speak,  and  I  asked  him  what  power  he  held  over  the 
beasts  that  thronged  so  close  about  him. 

'  "  I  will  show  thee,  little  man,"  he  answered,  and 
with  his  club  he  struck  a  stag  on  the  head  till  he  brayed 
loudly.  And  at  his  braying  the  animals  came  running, 
numerous  as  the  stars  in  the  sky,  so  that  scarce  was  I 
able  to  stand  among  them.  Serpents  were  there  also, 
and  dragons,  and  beasts  of  strange  shapes,  with  horns 
in  places  where  never  saw  I  horns  before.  And  the 
black  man  only  looked  at  them  and  bade  them  go  and 
feed.  And  they  bowed  themselves  before  him,  as 
vassals  before  their  lord. 

* "  Now,  little  man,  I  have  answered  thy  question 
and  showed  thee  my  power,"  said  he.  "  Is  there  any- 
thing else  thou  wouldest  know  ?  "  Then  I  inquired  of 
him  my  way,  but  he  grew  angry,  and,  as  I  perceived, 
would  fain  have  hindered  me  ;  but  at  the  last,  after  I 
had  toll  him  who  I  was,  his  anger  passed  from  him. 

'  "  Take  that  path,"  said  he,  "  that  leads  to  the 
head  of  this  grassy  glade,  and  go  up  the  wood  till  thou 
readiest  the  top.  There  thou  wilt  find  an  open  space, 
and  in  the  midst  of  it  a  tall  tree.  Under  the  tree  is  a 
fountain,  and  by  the  fountain  a  marble  slab,  and  on 
the  slab  a  bowl  of  silver,  with  a  silver  chain.  Dip  the 
bowl  in  the  fountain,  and  throw  the  water  on  the 
slab,  and  thou  wilt  hear  a  mighty  peal  of  thunder,  till 
heaven  and  earth  seem  trembling  with  the  noise.  After 
the  thunder  will  come  hail,  so  fierce  that  scarcely 
canst  thou  endure  it  and  live,  for  the  hailstones  are 
both  large  and  thick.  Then  the  sun  will  shine  again, 
but  every  leaf  of  the  tree  will  be  lying  on  the  ground. 
Next  a  flight  of  birds  will  come  and  alight  on  the 
tree,  and  never  didst  thou  hear  a  strain  so  sweet  as 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        283 

that  which  they  will  sing.  And  at  the  moment  in 
which  their  song  sounds  sweetest  thou  wilt  hear  a  mur- 
muring and  complaining  coming  towards  thee  along 
the  valley,  and  thou  wilt  see  a  knight  in  black  velvet 
bestriding  a  black  horse,  bearing  a  lance  with  a  black 
pennon,  and  he  will  spur  his  steed  so  as  to  fight  thee. 
If  thou  turnest  to  flee,  he  will  overtake  thee,  and  if 
thou  abidest  where  thou  art,  he  will  unhorse  thee.  And 
if  thou  dost  not  find  trouble  in  that  adventure,  thou 
needest  not  to  seek  it  during  the  rest  of  thy  life." 

'  So  I  bade  the  black  man  farewell,  and  took  my  way 
to  the  top  of  the  wood,  and  there  I  found  everything  just 
as  I  had  been  told.  I  went  up  to  the  tree  beneath 
which  stood  the  fountain,  and  filling  the  silver  bowl 
with  water,  emptied  it  on  the  marble  slab.  Thereupon 
the  thunder  came,  louder  by  far  than  I  had  expected  to 
hear  it,  and  after  the  thunder  came  the  shower,  but 
heavier  by  far  than  I  had  expected  to  feel  it,  for,  of  a 
truth  I  tell  thee,  Kai,  not  one  of  those  hailstones  would 
be  stopped  by  skin  or  by  flesh  till  it  had  reached  the 
bone.  I  turned  my  horse's  flank  towards  the  shower, 
and,  bending  over  his  neck,  held  my  shield  so  that  it 
might  cover  his  head  and  my  own.  When  the  hail  had 
passed,  I  looked  on  the  tree  and  not  a  single  leaf  was 
left  on  it,  and  the  sky  was  blue  and  the  sun  shining, 
while  on  the  branches  were  perched  birds  of  every  kind, 
who  sang  a  song  sweeter  than  any  that  has  come  to  my 
ears,  either  before  or  since. 

'  Thus,  Kai,  I  stood  listening  to  the  birds,  when  lo, 
a  murmuring  voice  approached  me,  saying  : 

'  "  O  knight,  what  has  brought  thee  hither  ?  What 
evil  have  I  done  to  thee,  that  thou  shouldest  do  so  much 
to  me,  for  in  all  my  lands  neither  man  nor  beast 
that  met  that  shower  has  escaped  alive."  Then  from 
the  valley  appeared  the  knight  on  the  black  horse, 
grasping  the  lance  with  the  black  peanon.  Straightway 
we  charged  each  other,  and  though  I  fought  my  best,  he 


284        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

soon  overcame  me,  and  I  was  thrown  to  the  ground, 
while  the  knight  S3ized  the  bridle  of  my  horse,  and  rode 
away  with  it,  leaving  me  where  I  was,  without  even 
despoiling  me  of  my  armour. 

'  Sadly  did  I  go  down  the  hill  again,  and  when  I 
reached  the  glade  where  the  black  man  was,  I  confess  to 
thee,  Kai,  it  was  a  marvel  that  I  did  not  melt  into  a 
liquid  pool,  so  great  was  my  shame.  That  night  I  slept 
at  the  castle  where  I  had  been  before,  and  I  was  bathed 
and  feasted,  and  none  asked  me  how  I  had  fared.  The 
next  morning  when  I  arose  I  found  a  bay  horse  saddled 
for  me,  and,  girding  on  my  armour,  I  returned  to  my 
own  court.  The  horse  is  still  in  the  stable,  and  I  would 
not  part  with  it  for  any  in  Britain. 

'  But  of  a  truth,  Kai,  no  man  ever  confessed  an 
adventure  so  much  to  his  own  dishonour,  and  strange 
indeed  it  seems  that  none  other  man  have  I  ever  met 
that  knew  of  the  black  man,  and  the  knight,  and  the 
shower.' 

'  Would  it  not  be  well,'  said  Owen,  '  to  go  and  dis- 
cover the  place  ?  ' 

'  By  the  hand  of  my  friend,'  answered  Kai,  '  often 
dost  thou  utter  that  with  thy  tongue  which  thou 
wouldest  not  make  good  with  thy  deeds.' 

'  In  truth,'  said  Guenevere  the  queen,  who  had 
listened  to  the  tale,  '  thou  wert  better  hanged,  Kai, 
than  use  such  speech  towards  a  man  like  Owen.' 

'  I  meant  nothing,  lady,'  replied  Kai ;  '  thy  praise 
of  Owen  is  not  greater  than  mine.'  And  as  he  spoke 
Arthur  awoke,  and  asked  if  he  had  not  slept  for  a  little. 

'  Yes,  lord,'  answered  Owen,  'certainly  thou  hast  slept.' 

'  Is  it  time  for  us  to  go  to  meat  ?  ' 

'  It  is,  lord,'  answered  Owen. 

Then  the  horn  for  washing  themselves  was  sounded, 
and  after  that  the  king  and  his  household  sat  down  to 
eat.  And  when  they  had  finished,  Owen  left  them, 
and  made  ready  his  horse  and  his  arms. 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        285 

With  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  he  set  forth,  and 
travelled  through  deserts  and  over  mountains  and  across 
rivers,  and  all  befell  him  which  had  befallen  Kynon,  till 
he  stood  under  the  leafless  tree  listening  to  the  song 
of  the  birds.  Then  he  heard  the  voice,  and  turning  to 
look  found  the  knight  galloping  to  meet  him.  Fiercely 
they  fought  till  their  lances  were  broken,  and  then  they 
drew  their  swords,  and  a  blow  from  Owen  cut  through 
the  knight's  helmet,  and  pierced  his  skull. 

Feeling  himself  wounded  unto  death  the  knight  fled, 
and  Owen  pursued  him  till  they  came  to  a  splendid 
castle.  Here  the  knight  dashed  across  the  bridge  that 
spanned  the  moat,  and  entered  the  gate,  but  as  soon  as 
he  was  safe  inside,  the  drawbridge  was  pulled  up  and 
caught  Owen's  horse  in  the  middle,  so  that  half  of  him 
was  inside  and  half  out,  and  Owen  could  not  dismount 
and  knew  not  what  to  do. 

While  he  was  in  this  sore  plight  a  little  door  in  the 
castle  gate  opened,  and  he  could  see  a  street  facing  him, 
with  tall  houses.  Then  a  maiden  with  curling  hair  of 
gold  looked  through  the  little  door  and  bade  Owen 
open  the  gate. 

'  By  my  troth  !  '  cried  Owen,  '  I  can  no  more  open  it 
from  here  than  thou  art  able  to  set  me  free.' 

'  Well,'  said  she,  '  I  will  do  my  best  to  release  thee 
if  thou  wilt  do  as  I  tell  thee.  Take  this  ring  and  put  it 
on  with  the  stone  inside  thy  hand,  and  close  thy  fingers 
tight,  for  as  long  as  thou  dost  conceal  it,  it  will  conceal 
thee.  When  the  men  inside  have  held  counsel  together, 
they  will  come  to  fetch  thee  to  thy  death,  and  they  will 
be  much  grieved  not  to  find  thee.  I  will  stand  on  the 
horse  block  yonder  and  thou  canst  see  me  though  I 
cannot  see  thee.  Therefore  draw  near  and  place  thy 
hand  on  my  shoulder  and  follow  me  wheresoever 
I  go;' 

Upon  that  she  went  away  from  Owen,  and  when  the 
men  came  out  from  the  castle  to  seek  him  and  did  not 


286        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

find  him  they  were  sorely  grieved,  and  they  returned  to 
the  castle. 

Then  Owen  went  to  the  maiden  and  placed  his  hand 
on  her  shoulder,  and  she  guided  him  to  a  large  room, 
painted  all  over  with  rich  colours,  and  adorned  with 
images  of  gold.  Here  she  gave  him  meat  and  drink, 
and  water  to  wash  with  and  garments  to  wear,  and  he 
lay  down  upon  a  soft  bed,  with  scarlet  and  fur  to  cover 
him,  and  slept  gladly. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  he  woke  hearing  a  great 
outcry,  and  he  jumped  up  and  clothed  himself  and  went 
into  the  hall,  where  the  maiden  was  standing. 

'  What  is  it  ?  '  he  asked,  and  she  answered  that  the 
knight  who  owned  the  castle  was  dead,  and  they  were 
bearing  his  body  to  the  church.  Never  had  Owen 
beheld  such  vast  crowds,  and  following  the  dead  knight 
was  the  most  beautiful  lady  in  the  world,  whose  cry  was 
louder  than  the  shout  of  the  men,  or  the  braying  of  the 
trumpets.  And  Owen  looked  on  her  and  loved  her. 

'  Who  is  she  ?  '  he  asked  the  damsel.  '  That  is  my 
mistress,  the  countess  of  the  fountain,  and  the  wife  of 
him  whom  thou  didst  slay  yesterday.' 

'  Verily,'  said  Owen,  '  she  is  the  woman  that  I  love 
best.' 

'  She  shall  also  love  thee  not  a  little,'  said  the 
maiden. 

Then  she  left  Owen,  and  after  a  while  went  into  the 
chamber  of  her  mistress,  and  spoke  to  her,  but  the 
countess  answered  her  nothing. 

'  What  aileth  thee,  mistress  ?  '  inquired  the  maiden. 

'  Why  hast  thou  kept  far  from  me  in  my  grief, 
Luned  ?  '  answered  the  countess,  and  in  her  turn  the 
damsel  asked  : 

'  Is  it  well  for  thee  to  mourn  so  bitterly  for  the  dead, 
or  for  anything  that  is  gone  from  thee  ?  ' 

'  There  is  no  man  in  the  world  equal  to  him,'  replied 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        289 

the  countess,  her  cheeks  growing  red  with  anger.  '  I 
would  fain  banish  thee  for  such  words.' 

'  Be  not  angry,  lady,'  said  Luned,  '  but  listen  to  my 
counsel.  Thou  knowest  well  that  alone  thou  canst 
not  preserve  thy  lands,  therefore  seek  some  one  to  help 
thee.' 

'  And  how  can  I  do  that  ?  '  asked  the  countess. 

'  I  will  tell  thee,'  answered  Luned.  '  Unless  thou 
canst  defend  the  fountain  all  will  be  lost,  and  none  can 
defend  the  fountain  except  a  knight  of  Arthur's  court. 
There  will  I  go  to  seek  him,  and  woe  betide  me  if  I 
return  without  a  warrior  that  can  guard  the  fountain, 
as  well  as  he  who  kept  it  before. ' 

'  Go  then,'  said  the  countess,  '  and  make  proof  of 
that  which  thou  hast  promised.' 

So  Luned  set  out,  riding  on  a  white  palfrey,  on 
pretence  of  journeying  to  King  Arthur's  court,  but 
instead  of  doing  that  she  hid  herself  for  as  many  days 
as  it  would  have  taken  her  to  go  and  come,  and  then  she 
left  her  hiding-place,  and  went  in  to  the  countess. 

'  What  news  from  the  court  ?  '  asked  her  mistress, 
when  she  had  given  Luned  a  warm  greeting. 

'  The  best  of  news,'  answered  the  maiden, '  for  I  have 
gained  the  object  of  my  mission.  When  wilt  thou 
that  I  present  to  thee  the  knight  who  has  returned 
with  me  ?  ' 

'  To-morrow  at  midday,'  said  the  countess,  '  apd  I 
will  cause  all  the  people  in  the  town  to  come  to- 
gether.' 

Therefore  the  next  day  at  noon  Owen  put  on  his  coat 
of  mail,  and  over  it  he  wore  a  splendid  mantle,  while  on 
his  feet  were  leather  shoes  fastened  with  clasps  of  gold. 
And  he  followed  Luned  to  the  chamber  of  her  mistress. 

Right  glad  was  the  countess  to  see  them,  but  she 
looked  closely  at  Owen  and  said  : 

'  Luned,  this  knight  has  scarcely  the  air  of  a 
traveller.' 

L.  U 


290        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

'  What  harm  is  there  in  that,  lady  ?  '  answered 
Luned. 

'  I  am  persuaded,'  said  the  countess,  '  that  this  man 
and  no  other  chased  the  soul  from  the  body  of  my  lord.' 

'  Had  he  not  been  stronger  than  thy  lord,'  replied 
the  damsel,  '  he  could  not  have  taken  his  life,  and  for 
that,  and  for  all  things  that  are  past,  there  is  no  remedy.' 

'  Leave  me,  both  of  you,'  said  the  countess,  '  and 
I  will  take  counsel.' 

Then  they  went  out. 

The  next  morning  the  countess  summoned  her 
subjects  to  meet  in  the  courtyard  of  the  castle,  and  told 
them  that  now  that  her  husband  was  dead  there  was 
none  to  defend  her  lands. 

'  So  choose  you  which  it  shall  be,'  she  said.  '  Either 
let  one  of  you  take  me  for  a  wife,  or  give  me  your  consent 
to  take  a  new  lord  for  myself,  that  my  lands  be  not 
without  a  master.' 

At  her  words  the  chief  men  of  the  city  withdrew  into 
one  corner  and  took  counsel  together,  and  after  a 
while  the  leader  came  forward  and  said  that  they  had 
decided  that  it  was  best,  for  the  peace  and  safety  of  all, 
that  she  should  choose  a  husband  for  herself.  There- 
upon Owen  was  summoned  to  her  presence,  and  he 
accepted  with  joy  the  hand  that  she  offered  him,  and 
they,  were  married  forthwith,  and  the  men  of  the  earldom 
did  him  homage. 

From  that  day  Owen  defended  the  fountain  as  the 
earl  before  him  had  done,  and  every  knight  that  came 
by  was  overthrown  by  him,  and  his  ransom  divided 
among  his  barons.  In  this  way  three  years  passed,  and 
no  man  in  the  world  was  more  beloved  than  Owen . 

Now  at  the  end  of  the  three  years  it  happened  that 
Gwalchmai  the  knight  was  with  Arthur,  and  he  per- 
ceived the  king  to  be  very  sad. 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        291 

*  My  lord,  has  anything  befallen  thee  ?  '  he  asked. 

'  Oh,  Gwalchmai,  I  am  grieved  concerning  Owen, 
whom  I  have  lost  these  three  years,  and  if  a  fourth  year 
passes  without  him  I  can  live  no  longer.  And  sure  am 
I  that  the  tale  told  by  Kynon  the  son  of  Clydno  caused 
me  to  lose  him.  I  will  go  myself  with  the  men  of  my 
household  to  avenge  him  if  he  is  dead,  to  free  him  if  he 
is  in  prison,  to  bring  him  back  if  he  is  alive.' 

Then  Arthur  and  three  thousand  men  of  his  house- 
hold set  out  in  quest  of  Owen,  and  took  Kynon  for  their 
guide.  When  Arthur  reached  the  castle,  the  youths 
were  shooting  in  the  same  place,  and  the  same  yellow 
man  was  standing  by,  and  as  soon  as  he  beheld  Arthur 
he  greeted  him  and  invited  him  in,  and  they  entered 
together.  So  vast  was  the  castle  that  the  king's  three 
thousand  men  were  of  no  more  account  than  if  they 
had  been  twenty. 

At  sunrise  Arthur  departed  thence,  with  Kynon  for 
his  guide,  and  reached  the  black  man  first,  and  afterwards 
the  top  of  the  wooded  hill,  with  the  fountain  and  the 
bowl  and  the  tree. 

'  My  lord,'  said  Kai,  '  let  me  throw  the  water  on  the 
slab  and  receive  the  first  adventure  that  may  befall.' 

'  Thou  mayest  do  so,'  answered  Arthur,  and  Kai 
threw  the  water. 

Immediately  all  happened  as  before  ;  the  thunder 
and  the  shower  of  hail  which  killed  many  of  Arthur's 
men  ;  the  song  of  the  birds  and  the  appearance  of  the 
black  knight.  And  Kai  met  him  and  fought  him,  and 
was  overthrown  by  him.  Then  the  knight  rode  away, 
and  Arthur  and  his  men  encamped  where  they  stood. 

In  the  morning  Kai  again  asked  leave  to  meet  the 
knight  and  to  try  to  overcome  him,  which  Arthur 
granted.  But  once  more  he  was  unhorsed,  and  the 
black  knight's  lance  broke  his  helmet  and  pierced  the 
skin  even  to  the  bone,  and  humbled  in  spirit  he  returned 
to  the  camp. 


292        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

After  this  every  one  of  the  knights  gave  battle,  but 
none  came  out  victor,  and  at  length  there  only  remained 
Arthur  himself  and  Gwalchmai. 

'  Oh,  let  me  fight  him,  my  lord,'  cried  Gwalchmai, 
as  he  saw  Arthur  taking  up  his  arms. 

'  Well,  fight  then,'  answered  Arthur,  and  Gwalchmai 
threw  a  robe  over  himself  and  his  horse,  so  that  none 
knew  him.  All  that  day  they  fought,  and  neither  was 
able  to  throw  the  other,  and  so  it  was  on  the  next  day. 
On  the  third  day  the  combat  was  so  fierce  that  they  fell 
both  to  the  ground  at  once,  and  fought  on  their  feet, 
and  at  last  the  black  knight  gave  his  foe  such  a  blow  on 
his  head  that  his  helmet  fell  from  his  face. 

'  I  did  not  know  it  was  thee,  Gwalchmai,'  said  the 
black  knight.  '  Take  my  sword  and  my  arms.' 

'  No,'  answered  Gwalchmai,  '  it  is  thou,  Owen,  who 
art  the  victor,  take  thou  my  sword ' :  but  Owen  would 
not. 

'  Give  me  your  swords,'  said  Arthur  from  behind 
them,  '  for  neither  of  you  has  vanquished  the  other,* 
and  Owen  turned  and  put  his  arms  round  Arthur's 
neck. 

The  next  day  Arthur  would  have  given  orders  to  his 
men  to  make  ready  to  go  back  whence  they  came,  but 
Owen  stopped  him. 

'  My  lord,'  he  said,  '  during  the  three  years  that  I 
have  been  absent  from  thee  I  have  been  preparing  a 
banquet  for  thee,  knowing  full  well  that  thou  wouldst 
come  to  seek  me.  Tarry  with  me,  therefore,  for  a  while, 
thou  and  thy  men.' 

So  they  rode  to  the  castle  of  the  countess  of  the 
fountain,  and  spent  three  months  in  resting  and  feast- 
ing. And  when  it  was  time  for  them  to  depart  Arthur 
besought  the  countess  that  she  would  allow  Owen  to  go 
with  him  to  Britain  for  the  space  of  three  months.  With 
a  sore  heart  she  granted  permission,  and  so  content  was, 
Owen  to  be  once  more  with  his  old  companions  that 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        293 

three  years  instead  of  three  months  passed  away  like 
a  dream. 

One  day  Owen  sat  at  meat  in  the  castle  of  Caerleon 
upon  Usk,  when  a  damsel  on  a  bay  horse  entered  the 
hall,  and  riding  straight  up  to  the  place  where  Owen  sat 
she  stooped  and  drew  the  ring  from  off  his  hand. 

'  Thus  shall  be  treated  the  traitor  and  the  faithless,' 
said  she,  and  turning  her  horse's  head  she  rode  out  of 
the  hall. 

At  her  words  Owen  remembered  all  that  he  had 
forgotten,  and  sorrowful  and  ashamed  he  went  to  his 
own  chamber  and  made  ready  to  depart.  At  the  dawn 
he  set  out,  but  he  did  not  go  back  to  the  castle,  for  his 
heart  was  heavy,  but  he  wandered  far  into  wild  places 
till  his  body  was  weak  and  thin,  and  his  hair  was  long. 
The  wild  beasts  were  his  friends,  and  he  slept  by  their 
side,  but  in  the  end  he  longed  to  see  the  face  of  a  man 
.again,  and  he  came  down  into  a  valley  and  fell  asleep  by 
a  lake  in  the  lands  of  a  widowed  countess. 

Now  it  was  the  time  when  the  countess  took  her 
walk,  attended  by  her  maidens,  and  when  they  saw  a 
man  lying  by  the  lake  they  shrank  back  in  terror,  for 
he  lay  so  still  that  they  thought  he  was  dead.  But 
when  they  had  overcome  their  fright,  they  drew  near 
him,  and  touched  him,  and  saw  that  there  was  life  in 
him.  Then  the  countess  hastened  to  the  castle,  and 
brought  from  it  a  flask  full  of  precious  ointment  and 
gave  it  to  one  of  her  maidens. 

'  Take  that  horse  which  is  grazing  yonder,'  she  said, 
'  and  a  suit  of  men's  garments,  and  place  them  near  the 
man,  and  pour  some  of  this  ointment  near  his  heart. 
If  there  is  any  life  in  him  that  will  bring  it  back.  But 
if  he  moves,  hide  thyself  in  the  bushes  near  by,  and  see 
what  he  does.' 

The  damsel  took  the  flask  and  did  her  mistress' 
bidding.  Soon  the  man  began  to  move  his  arms,  and 


294        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

then  rose  slowly  to  his  feet.  Creeping  forward  step  by 
step  he  took  the  garments  from  off  the  saddle  and  put 
them  on  him,  and  painfully  he  mounted  the  horse. 
When  he  was  seated  the  damsel  came  forth  and  greeted 
him,  and  glad  was  he  when  he  saw  her  and  inquired  what 
castle  that  was  before  him. 

*  It  belongs  to  a  widowed  countess,'  answered  the 
maiden.  '  Her  husband  left  her  two  earldoms,  but 
it  is  all  that  remains  of  her  broad  lands,  for  they  have 
been  torn  from  her  by  a  young  earl,  because  she  would 
not  marry  him.' 

'  That  is  a  pity,'  replied  Owen,  but  he  said  no  more, 
for  he  was  too  weak  to  talk  much.  Then  the  maiden 
guided  him  to  the  castle,  and  kindled  a  fire,  and  brought 
him  food.  And  there  he  stayed  and  \vas  tended  for 
three  months,  till  he  was  handsomer  than  ever  he  was. 

At  noon  one  day  Owen  heard  a  sound  of  arms 
outside  the  castle,  and  he  asked  of  the  maiden  what  it 
was. 

'  It  is  the  earl  of  whom  I  spoke  to  thee,'  she  answered, 
'  who  has  come  with  a  great  host  to  carry  off  my  mis- 
tress.' 

'  Beg  of  her  to  lend  me  a  horse  and  armour,'  said 
Owen,  and  the  maiden  did  so,  but  the  countess  laughed 
somewhat  bitterly  as  she  answered  : 

'  Nay,  but  I  will  give  them  to  him,  and  such  a  horse 
and  armour  and  weapons  as  he  has  never  had  yet,  though 
I  know  not  what  use  they  will  be  to  him.  Yet  mayhap 
it  will  save  them  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  my 
enemies.' 

The  horse  was  brought  out  and  Owen  rode  forth 
with  two  pages  behind  him,  and  they  saw  the  great  host 
encamped  before  them. 

'  Where  is  the  earl  ?  '  said  he,  and  the  pages 
answered  : 

'  In  yonder  troop  where  are  four  yellow  standards.' 

'  Await  me,'  said  Owen,  '  at  the  gate  of  the  castle, 


THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN        295 

and  he  cried  a  challenge  to  the  earl,  who  came  to  meet 
him.  Hard  did  they  fight,  but  Owen  overthrew  his 
enemy  and  drove  him  in  front  to  the  castle  gate  and  into 
the  hall. 

'  Behold  the  reward  of  thy  blessed  balsam,'  said  he, 
as  he  bade  the  earl  kneel  down  before  her,  and  made 
him  swear  that  he  would  restore  all  that  he  had  taken 
from  her. 

After  that  he  departed,  and  went  into  the  deserts, 
and  as  he  was  passing  through  a  wood  he  heard  a  loud 
yelling.  Pushing  aside  the  bushes  he  beheld  a  lion 
standing  on  a  great  mound,  and  by  it  a  rock.  Near  the 
rock  was  a  lion  seeking  to  reach  the  mound,  and  each 
time  he  moved  out  darted  a  serpent  from  the  rock  to 
prevent  him.  Then  Owen  unsheathed  his  sword,  and 
cut  off  the  serpent's  head  and  went  on  his  way,  and  the 
lion  followed  and  played  about  him,  as  if  he  had  been 
a  greyhound.  And  much  more  useful  was  he  than  a 
greyhound,  for  in  the  evening  he  brought  large  logs  hi 
his  mouth  to  kindle  a  fire,  and  killed  a  fat  buck  for 
dinner. 

Owen  made  his  fire  and  skinned  the  buck,  and  put 
some  of  it  to  roast,  and  gave  the  rest  to  the  lion  for 
supper.  While  he  was  waiting  for  the  meat  to  cook  he 
heard  a  sound  of  deep  sighing  close  to  him,  and  he  said  : 

'  Who  art  thou  ?  ' 

'  I  am  Luned,'  replied  a  voice  from  a  cave  so  hidden 
by  bushes  and  green  hanging  plants  that  Owen  had  not 
seen  it. 

'  And  what  dost  thou  here  ?  '  cried  he. 

*  I  am  held  captive  in  this  cave  on  account  of  the 
knight  who  married  the  countess  and  left  her,  for  the 
pages  spoke  ill  of  him,  and  because  I  told  them  that  no 
man  living  was  his  equal  they  dragged  me  here  and  said 
I  should  die  unless  he  should  come  to  deliver  me  by  a 
certain  day,  and  that  is  no  further  than  the  day  after 
to-morrow.  His  name  is  Owen  the  son  of  Urien,  but  I 


296        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

have  none  to  send  to  tell  him  of  my  danger,  or  of  a 
surety  he  would  deliver  me.' 

Owen  held  his  peace,  but  gave  the  maiden  some  of 
the  meat,  and  bade  her  be  of  good  cheer.  Then,  followed 
by  the  lion,  he  set  out  for  a  great  castle  on  the  other 
side  of  the  plain,  and  men  came  and  took  his  horse  and 
placed  it  in  a  manger,  and  the  lion  went  after  and  lay 
down  on  the  straw.  Hospitable  and  kind  were  all 
within  the  castle,  but  so  full  of  sorrow  that  it  might 
have  been  thought  death  was  upon  them.  At  length, 
when  they  had  eaten  and  drunk,  Owen  prayed  the  earl 
to  tell  him  the  reason  of  their  grief. 

'  Yesterday,'  answered  the  earl,  '  my  two  sons 
were  seized,  while  they  were  hunting,  by  a  monster  who 
dwells  on  those  mountains  yonder,  and  he  vows  that  he 
will  not  let  them  go  unless  I  will  give  him  my  daughter 
to  wife.' 

'  That  shall  never  be,'  said  Owen  ;  '  but  what  form 
hath  this  monster  ?  ' 

'  In  shape  he  is  a  man,  but  in  stature  he  is  a  giant,' 
replied  the  earl,  '  and  it  were  better  by  far  that  he  should 
slay  my  sons  than  that  I  should  give  up  my  daughter.' 

Early  next  morning  the  dwellers  in  the  castle  were 
awakened  by  a  great  clamour,  and  they  found  that  the 
giant  had  arrived  with  the  two  young  men.  Swiftly 
Owen  put  on  his  armour  and  went  forth  to  meet  the 
giant,  and  the  lion  followed  at  his  heels.  And  when  the 
great  beast  beheld  the  hard  blows  which  the  giant  dealt 
his  master  he  flew  at  his  throat,  and  much  trouble  had 
the  monster  in  beating  him  off. 

'  Truly,'  said  the  giant,  '  I  should  find  no  difficulty 
in  fighting  thee,  if  it  were  not  for  that  lion.'  When  he- 
heard  that  Owen  felt  shame  that  he  could  not  overcome 
the  giant  with  his  own  sword,  so  he  took  the  lion  and 
shut  him  up  in  one  of  the  towers  of  the  castle,  and 
returned  to  the  fight.  But  from  the  sound  of  the  blows 
the  lion  knew  that  the  combat  was  going  ill  for  Owen,  so 


he  climbed  up  till  he  reached  the  top  of  the  tower,  where 
there  was  a  door  on  to  the  roof,  and  from  the  tower  he 
sprang  on  to  the  walls,  and  from  the  walls  to  the  ground. 
Then  with  a  loud  roar  he  leaped  upon  the  giant,  who 
fell  dead  under  the  blow  of  his  paw. 

Now  the  gloom  of  the  castle  was  turned  into  rejoic- 
ing, and  the  earl  begged  Owen  to  stay  with  him  till  he 
could  make  him  a  feast,  but  the  knight  said  he  had 
other  work  to  do,  and  rode  back  to  the  place  where  he 
had  left  Luned,  and  the  lion  followed  at  his  heels. 
When  he  came  there  he  saw  a  great  fire  kindled,  and  two 
youths  leading  out  the  maiden  to  cast  her  upon  the 
pile. 

'  Stop  ! '  he  cried,  dashing  up  to  them.  '  What 
charge  have  you  against  her  ? ' 

'  She  boasted  that  no  man  in  the  world  was  equal 
to  Owen,'  said  they,  '  and  we  shut  her  in  a  cave,  and 
agreed  that  none  should  deliver  her  but  Owen  himself, 
and  that  if  he  did  not  come  by  a  certain  day  she  should 
die.  And  now  the  time  has  past  and  there  is  no  sign  of 
him.' 

'  In  truth  he  is  a  good  knight,  and  had  he  but  known 
that  the  maid  was  in  peril  he  would  have  come  to  save 
her,'  said  Owen  ;  '  but  accept  me  in  his  stead,  I  entreat 
you.' 

'  We  will,'  replied  they,  and  the  fight  began. 

The  youths  fought  well  and  pressed  hard  on  Owen, 
and  when  the  lion  saw  that  he  came  to  help  his  master. 
But  the  youths  made  a  sign  for  the  fight  to  stop,  and 
said  : 

'  Chieftain,  it  was  agreed  we  should  give  battle  to  thee 
alone,  and  it  is  harder  for  us  to  contend  with  yonder 
beast  than  with  thee.' 

Then  Owen  shut  up  the  lion  in  the  cave  where  the 
maiden  had  been  in  prison,  and  blocked  up  the  front 
with  stones.  But  the  fight  with  the  giant  had  sorely 
tried  him,  and  the  youths  fought  well,  and  pressed  him 


298        THE  LADY  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN 

harder  than  before.  And  when  the  lion  saw  that  he 
gave  a  loud  roar,  and  burst  through  the  stones,  and 
sprang  upon  the  youths  and  slew  them.  And  so  Luned 
was  delivered  at  the  last. 

Then  the  maiden  rode  back  with  Owen  to  the  lands 
of  the  lady  of  the  fountain.  And  he  took  the  lady  with 
him  to  Arthur's  court,  where  they  lived  happily  till 
they  died. 

From  the '  Mabinogion.' 


THE  FOUR  GIFTS 

IN  the  old  land  of  Brittany,  once  called  Cornwall,  there 
lived  a  woman  named  Barbaiik  Bourhis,  who  spent  all 
her  days  in  looking  after  her  farm  with  the  help  of  her 
niece  Tephany.  Early  and  late  the  two  might  be  seen 
in  the  fields  or  in  the  dairy,  milking  cows,  making 
butter,  feeding  fowls  ;  working  hard  themselves  and 
taking  care  that  others  worked  too.  Perhaps  it  might 
have  been  better  for  Barbaiik  if  she  had  left  herself  a 
little  time  to  rest  and  to  think  about  other  things,  for 
soon  she  grew  to  love  money  for  its  own  sake,  and  only 
gave  herself  and  Tephany  the  food  and  clothes  they 
absolutely  needed.  And  as  for  poor  people  she  posi- 
tively hated  them,  and  delared  that  such  lazy  creatures 
had  no  business  in  the  world. 

Well,  this  being  the  sort  of  person  Barba'ik  was,  it  is 
easy  to  guess  at  her  anger  when  one  day  she  found 
Tephany  talking  outside  the  cowhouse  to  young  Denis, 
who  was  nothing  more  than  a  day  labourer  from  the 
village  of  Plover.  Seizing  her  niece  by  the  arm,  she 
pulled  her  sharply  away,  exclaiming  : 

'  Are  you  not  ashamed,  girl,  to  waste  your  time  over 
a  man  who  is  as  poor  as  a  rat,  when  there  are  a  dozen 
more  who  would  be  only  too  happy  to  buy  you  rings  of 
silver,  if  you  would  let  them  ?  ' 

'  Denis  is  a  good  workman,  as  you  know  very  well,' 
answered  Tephany,  red  with  anger,  '  and  he  puts  by 
money  too,  and  soon  he  will  be  able  to  take  a  farm  for 
himself.' 


300  THE  FOUR  GIFTS 

'  Nonsense,'  cried  Barbaik,  '  he  will  never  save 
enough  for  a  farm  till  he  is  a  hundred.  I  would  sooner 
see  you  in  your  grave  than  the  wife  of  a  man  who 
carries  his  whole  fortune  on  his  back.' 

'  What  does  fortune  matter  when  one  is  young  and 
strong  ?  '  asked  Tephany,  but  her  aunt,  amazed  at  such 
words,  would  hardly  let  her  finish. 

'  What  does  fortune  matter  ?  '  repeated  Barbaik,  in 
a  shocked  voice.  '  Is  it  possible  that  you  are  really  so 
foolish  as  to  despise  money  ?  If  this  is  what  you  learn 
from  Denis,  I  forbid  you  to  speak  to  him,  and  I  will 
have  him  turned  out  of  the  farm  if  he  dares  to  show  his 
face  here  again.  Now  go  and  wash  the  clothes  and 
spread  them  out  to  dry.' 

Tephany  did  not  dare  to  disobey,  but  with  a  heavy 
heart  went  down  the  path  to  the  river. 

'  She  is  harder  than  these  rocks,'  said  the  girl  to 
herself,  '  yes,  a  thousand  times  harder.  For  the  rain 
at  least  can  at  last  wear  away  the  stone,  but  you  might 
cry  for  ever,  and  she  would  never  care.  Talking  to 
Denis  is  the  only  pleasure  I  have,  and  if  I  am  not  to  see 
him  I  may  as  well  enter  a  convent.' 

Thinking  these  thoughts  she  reached  the  bank,  and 
began  to  unfold  the  large  packet  of  linen  that  had  to  be 
washed.  The  tap  of  a  stick  made  her  look  up,  and  stand- 
ing before  her  she  saw  a  little  old  woman,  whose  face 
was  strange  to  her. 

'  You  would  like  to  sit  down  and  rest,  granny  ?  ' 
asked  Tephany,  pushing  aside  her  bundle. 

'  When  the  sky  is  all  the  roof  you  have,  you  rest 
where  you  will,'  replied  the  old  woman  in  trembling 
tones. 

*  Are  you  so  lonely,  then.  ?  '  inquired  Tephany,  full 
of  pity.  '  Have  you  no  friends  who  would  welcome  you 
into  their  houses  ?  ' 

The  old  woman  shook  her  head. 


THE  FOUR  GIFTS  301 

'  They  all  died  long,  long  ago,'  she  answered, '  and  the 
only  friends  I  have  are  strangers  with  kind  hearts.' 

The  girl  did  not  speak  for  a  moment,  then  held  out 
the  small  loaf  and  some  bacon  intended  for  her  dinner. 

'  Take  this,'  she  said ;  '  to-day  at  any  rate  you  shall 
dine  well,'  and  the  old  woman  took  it,  gazing  at  Tephany 
the  while. 

'  Those  who  help  others  deserve  to  be  helped,'  she 
answered  ;  '  your  eyes  are  still  red  because  that  miser 
Barbaik  has  forbidden  you  to  speak  to  the  young  man 
from  Plover.  But  cheer  up,  you  are  a  good  girl,  and  I 
will  give  you  something  that  will  enable  you  to  see  him 
once  every  day. 

'  You  ?  '  cried  Tephany,  stupefied  at  discovering  that 
the  beggar  knew  all  about  her  affairs,  but  the  old 
woman  did  not  hear  her. 

'  Take  this  long  copper  pin,'  she  went  on,  '  and  every 
time  you  stick  it  in  your  dress  Mother  Bourhis  will  be 
obliged  to  leave  the  house  in  order  to  go  and  count  her 
cabbages.  As  long  as  the  pin  is  in  your  dress  you  will 
be  free,  and  your  aunt  will  not  come  back  until  you  have 
put  it  in  its  case  again.'  Then,  rising,  she  nodded  to 
Tephany  and  vanished. 

The  girl  stood  where  she  was,  as  still  as  a  stone.  If 
it  had  not  been  for  the  pin  in  her  hands  she  would  have 
thought  she  was  dreaming.  But  by  that  token  she 
knew  it  was  no  common  old  woman  who  had  given  it 
to  her,  but  a  fairy,  wise  in  telling  what  would  happen  in 
the  days  to  come.  Then  suddenly  Tephany 's  eyes  fell 
on  the  clothes,  and  to  make  up  for  lost  time  she  began 
to  wash  them  with  great  vigour. 

Next  evening,  at  the  moment  when  Denis  was  accus- 
tomed to  wait  for  her  in  the  shadow  of  the  cowhouse, 
Tephany  stuck  the  pin  in  her  dress,  and  at  the  very  same 
instant  Barbaiik  took  up  her  sabots  or  wooden  shoes  and 
went  through  the  orchard  and  past  to  the  fields,  to  the 


302  THE  FOUR  GIFTS 

plot  where  the  cabbages  grew.  With  a  heart  as  light  as 
her  footsteps,  the  girl  ran  from  the  house,  and  spent  her 
evening  happily  with  Denis.  And  so  it  was  for  many 
days  after  that.  Then,  at  last,  Tephany  began  to  notice 
something,  and  the  something  made  her  very  sad. 

At  first  Denis  seemed  to  find  the  hours  that  they 
were  together  fly  as  quickly  as  she  did,  but  when  he  had 
taught  her  all  the  songs  he  knew,  and  told  her  all  the 
plans  he  had  made  for  growing  rich  and  a  great  man,  he 
had  nothing  more  to  say  to  her,  for  he,  like  a  great  many 
other  people,  was  fond  of  talking  himself,  but  not  of 
listening  to  any  one  else.  Sometimes,  indeed,  he  never 
came  at  all,  and  the  next  evening  he  would  tell  Tephany 
that  he  had  been  forced  to  go  into  the  town  on  business, 
but  though  she  never  reproached  him  she  was  not 
deceived  and  saw  plainly  that  he  no  longer  cared  for  her 
as  he  used  to  do. 

Day  by  day  her  heart  grew  heavier  and  her  cheeks 
paler,  and  one  evening,  when  she  had  waited  for  him  in 
vain,  she  put  her  water-pot  on  her  shoulder  and  went 
slowly  down  to  the  spring.  On  the  path  in  front  of  her 
stood  the  fairy  who  had  given  her  the  pin,  and  as  she 
glanced  at  Tephany  she  gave  a  little  mischievous  laugh 
and  said  : 

'  Why,  my  pretty  maiden  hardly  looks  happier  than 
she  did  before,  in  spite  of  meeting  her  lover  whenever 
she  pleases.' 

'  He  has  grown  tired  of  me,'  answered  Tephany  in  a 
trembling  voice,  '  and  he  makes  excuses  to  stay  away. 
*  Ah  !  granny  dear,  it  is  not  enough  to  be  able  to  see  him, 
I  must  be  able  to  amuse  him  and  to  keep  him  with  me. 
He  is  so  clever,  you  know.  Help  me  to  be  clever  too.' 

'  Is  that  what  you  want  ?  '  cried  the  old  woman. 
'  Well,  take  this  feather  and  stick  it  in  your  hair,  and  you 
will  be  as  wise  as  Solomon  himself.' 

Blushing  with  pleasure  Tephany  went  home  and 
stuck  the  feather  into  the  blue  ribbon  which  girls  always 


THE  FOUR  GIFTS  303 

wear  in  that  part  of  the  country.  In  a  moment  she 
heard  Denis  whistling  gaily,  and  as  her  aunt  was  safely 
counting  her  cabbages,  she  hurried  out  to  meet  him. 
The  young  man  was  struck  dumb  by  her  talk.  There 
was  nothing  that  she  did  not  seem  to  know,  and  as  for 
songs  she  not  only  could  sing  those  from  every  part  of 
Britanny,  but  could  compose  them  herself.  Was  this 
really  the  quiet  girl  who  had  been  so  anxious  to  learn 
all  he  could  teach  her,  or  was  it  somebody  else  ?  Per- 
haps she  had  gone  suddenly  mad,  and  there  was  an  evil 
spirit  inside  her.  But  in  any  case,  night  after  night 
he  came  back,  only  to  find  her  growing  wiser  and  wiser. 
Soon  the  neighbours  whispered  then*  surprise  among 
themselves,  for  Tephany  had  not  been  able  to  resist  the 
pleasure  of  putting  the  feather  in  her  hair  for  some  of 
the  people  who  despised  her  for  her  poor  clothes,  and 
many  were  the  jokes  she  made  about  them.  Of  course 
they  heard  of  her  jests,  and  shook  their  heads  saying  : 

'  She  is  an  ill-natured  little  cat,  and  the  man  that 
marries  her  will  find  that  it  is  she  who  will  hold  the 
reins  and  drive  the  horse.' 

It  was  not  long  before  Denis  began  to  agree  with 
them,  and  as  he  always  liked  to  be  master  wherever  he 
went,  he  became  afraid  of  Tephany's  sharp  tongue,  and 
instead  of  laughing  as  before  when  she  made  fun  of 
other  people  he  grew  red  and  uncomfortable,  thinking 
that  his  turn  would  come  next. 

So  matters  went  on  till  one  evening  Denis  told 
Tephany  that  he  really  could  not  stay  a  moment,  as  he 
had  promised  to  go  to  a  dance  that  was  to  be  held  in 
the  next  village. 

Tephany's  face  fell;  she  had  worked  hard  all  day, 
and  had  been  counting  on  a  quiet  hour  with  Denis.  She 
did  her  best  to  persuade  him  to  remain  with  her,  but  he 
would  not  listen,  and  at  last  she  grew  angry. 

'  Oh,  I  know  why  you  are  so  anxious  not  to  miss  the 


304  THE  FOUR  GIFTS 

dance,'  she  said ;  '  it  is  because  Azilicz  of  Penenru  will  be 
there.' 

Now  Azilicz  was  the  loveliest  girl  for  miles  round, 
and  she  and  Denis  had  known  each  other  from  child- 
hood. 

'  Oh  yes,  Azilicz  will  be  there,'  answered  Denis,  who 
was  quite  pleased  to  see  her  jealous,  '  and  naturally  one 
would  go  a  long  way  to  watch  her  dance.' 

'  Go  then  ! '  cried  Tephany,  and  entering  the  house 
she  slammed  the  door  behind  her. 

Lonely  and  miserable  she  sat  down  by  the  fire  and 
stared  into  the  red  embers.  Then,  flinging  the  feather 
from  her  hair,  she  put  her  head  on  her  hands,  and  sobbed 
passionately. 

'  What  is  the  use  of  being  clever  when  it  is  beauty 
that  men  want  ?  That  is  what  I  ought  to  have  asked 
for.  But  it  is  too  late,  Denis  will  never  come  back.' 

'  Since  you  wish  it  so  much  you  shall  have  beauty,' 
said  a  voice  at  her  side,  and  looking  round  she  beheld 
the  old  woman  leaning  on  her  stick. 

'  Fasten  this  necklace  round  your  neck,  and  as 
long  as  you  wear  it  you  will  be  the  most  beautiful  woman 
in  the  world,'  continued  the  fairy.  With  a  little  shriek 
of  joy  Tephany  took  the  necklace,  and  snapping  the 
clasp  ran  to  the  mirror  which  hung  in  the  corner.  Ah, 
this  time  she  was  not  afraid  of  Azilicz  or  of  any  other 
girl,  for  surely  none  could  be  as  fair  and  white  as  she. 
And  with  the  sight  of  her  face  a  thought  came  to  her, 
and  putting  on  hastily  her  best  dress  and  her  buckled 
shoes  she  hurried  off  to  the  dance. 

On  the  way  she  met  a  beautiful  carriage  with  a  young 
man  seated  in  it. 

'  What  a  lovely  maiden  ! '  he  exclaimed,  as  Tephany 
approached.  '  Why,  there  is  not  a  girl  in  my  own 
country  that  can  be  compared  to  her.  She,  and  no 
other,  shall  be  my  bride.' 

The  carriage  was  large  and  barred  the  narrow  road, 


THE  FOUR  GIFTS  305 

so  Tephany  was  forced,  much  against  her  will,  to  remain 
where  she  was.  But  she  looked  the  young  man  full  in 
the  face  as  she  answered  : 

'  Go  your  way,  noble  lord,  and  let  me  go  mine.  I  am 
only  a  poor  peasant  girl,  accustomed  to  milk,  and  make 
hay  and  spin.' 

'  Peasant  you  may  be,  but  I  will  make  you  a  great 
lady,'  said  he,  taking  her  hand  and  trying  to  lead  her 
to  the  carriage.' 

'  I  don't  want  to  be  a  great  lady,  I  only  want  to  be 
the  wife  of  Denis,'  she  replied,  throwing  off  his  hand 
and  running  to  the  ditch  which  divided  the  road  from 
the  cornfield,  where  she  hoped  to  hide.  Unluckily  the 
young  man  guessed  what  she  was  doing,  and  signed  to  his 
attendants,  who  seized  her  and  put  her  in  the  coach. 
The  door  was  banged,  and  the  horses  whipped  up  into  a 
gallop. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  they  arrived  at  a  splendid 
castle,  and  Tephany,  who  would  not  move,  was  lifted  out 
and  carried  into  the  hall,  while  a  priest  was  sent  for  to 
perform  the  marriage  ceremony.  The  young  man  tried 
to  win  a  smile  from  her  by  telling  of  all  the  beautiful 
things  she  should  have  as  his  wife,  but  Tephany  did  not 
listen  to  him,  and  looked  about  to  see  if  there  was  any 
means  by  which  she  could  escape.  It  did  not  seem  easy. 
The  three  great  doors  were  closely  barred,  and  the  one 
through  which  she  had  entered  shut  with  a  spring,  but 
her  feather  was  still  in  her  hair,  and  by  its  aid  she 
detected  a  crack  in  the  wooden  panelling,  through 
which  a  streak  of  light  could  be  dimly  seen.  Touching 
the  copper  pin  which  fastened  her  dress,  the  girl  sent 
every  one  in  the  hall  to  count  the  cabbages,  while  she 
herself  passed  through  the  little  door,  not  knowing 
whither  she  was  going. 

By  this  time  night  had  fallen,  and  Tephany  was  very 
tired.     Thankfully  she  found  herself  at  the  gate  of  a 
convent,  and  asked  if  she  might  stay  there  till  morning. 
L.  x 


306  THE  FOUR  GIFTS 

But  the  portress  answered  roughly  that  it  was  no  place 
for  beggars,  and  bade  her  begone,  so  the  poor  girl  dragged 
herself  slowly  along  the  road,  till  a  light  and  the  bark 
of  a  dog  told  her  that  she  was  near  a  farm. 

In  front  of  the  house  was  a  group  of  people  ;  two  or 
three  women  and  the  sons  of  the  farmer.  When  their 
mother  heard  Tephany's  request  to  be  given  a  bed  the 
good  wife's  heart  softened,  and  she  was  just  going  to 
invite  her  inside,  when  the  young  men,  whose  heads  were 
turned  by  the  girl's  beauty,  began  to  quarrel  as  to  which 
should  do  most  for  her.  From  words  they  came  to 
blows,  and  the  women,  frightened  at  the  disturbance, 
pelted  Tephany  with  insulting  names.  She  quickly  ran 
down  the  nearest  path,  hoping  to  escape  them  in  the 
darkness  of  the  trees,  but  in  an  instant  she  heard  their 
footsteps  behind  her.  Wild  with  fear  her  legs  trembled 
under  her,  when  suddenly  she  bethought  herself  of  her 
necklace.  With  a  violent  effort  she  burst  the  clasp  and 
flung  it  round  the  neck  of  a  pig  which  was  grunting  in 
a  ditch,  and  as  she  did  so  she  heard  the  footsteps  cease 
from  pursuing  her  and  lun  after  the  pig,  for  her  charm 
had  vanished. 

On  she  went,  scarcely  knowing  where  she  was  going, 
till  she  found  herself,  to  her  surprise  and  joy,  close  to 
her  aunt's  house.  For  several  days  she  felt  so  tired 
and  unhappy  that  she  could  hardly  get  through  her 
work,  and  to  make  matters  worse  Denis  scarcely  ever 
came  near  her. 

'  He  was  too  busy,'  he  said,  '  and  really  it  was  only 
rich  people  who  could  afford  to  waste  time  in  talking.' 

As  the  days  went  on  Tephany  gre\v  paler  and  paler, 
till  everybody  noticed  it  except  her  aunt.  The  water-pot 
wras  almost  too  heavy  for  her  now,  but  morning  and 
evening  she  carried  it  to  the  spring,  though  the  effort  to 
lift  it  to  her  shoulder  was  often  too  much  for  her. 

'  How  could  I  have  been  so  foolish,'  she  whispered 
to  herself,  when  she  went  down  as  usual  at  sunset.  '  It 


THE  FOUR  GIFTS  307 

was  not  freedom  to  see  Denis  that  I  should  have  asked 
for,  for  he  was  soon  weary  of  me,  nor  a  quick  tongue, 
for  he  was  afraid  of  it,  nor  beauty,  for  that  brought  me 
nothing  but  trouble,  but  riches  which  make  life  easy 
both  for  oneself  and  others.  Ah  !  if  I  only  dared  to 
beg  this  gift  from  the  fairy,  I  should  be  wiser  than 
before  and  know  how  to  choose  better.' 

'  Be  satisfied,'  said  the  voice  of  the  old  woman,  who 
seemed  to  be  standing  unseen  at  Tephany's  elbow. 
*  If  you  look  in  your  right-hand  pocket  when  you  go 
home  you  will  find  a  small  box.  Rub  your  eyes  with  the 
ointment  it  contains,  and  you  will  see  that  you  yourself 
contain  a  priceless  treasure.' 

Tephany  did  not  in  the  least  understand  what  she 
meant,  but  ',n  back  to  the  farm  as  fast  as  she  could, 
and  began  t  fumble  joyfully  in  her  right-hand  pocket. 
Sure  enough,  there  was  the  little  box  with  the  precious 
ointment.  She  was  in  the  act  of  rubbing  her  eyes  with 
it  when  Barbaik  Bourhis  entered  the  room.  Ever  since 
she  had  been  obliged  to  leave  her  work  and  pass  her  time, 
she  did  not  know  why,  in  counting  cabbages,  everything 
had  gone  wrong,  and  she  could  not  get  a  labourer  to 
stay  with  her  because  of  her  bad  temper.  When,  there- 
fore, she  saw  her  niece  standing  quietly  before  her 
mirror,  Barbaik  broke  out : 

'  So  this  is  what  you  do  when  I  am  out  in  the  fields  ! 
Ah  !  it  is  no  wonder  if  the  farm  is  ruined.  Are  you  not 
ashamed,  girl,  to  behave  so  ?  ' 

Tephany  tried  to  stammer  some  excuse,  but  her  aunt 
was  half  mad  with  rage,  and  a  box  on  the  ears  was  her 
only  answer.  At  this  Tephany,  hurt,  bewildered  and 
excited,  could  control  herself  no  longer,  and  turning 
away  burst  into  tears.  But  what  was  her  surprise  when 
she  saw  that  each  tear-drop  was  a  round  and  shining 
pearl.  Barbaik,  who  also  beheld  this  marvel,  uttered  a 
cry  of  astonishment,  and  threw  herself  on  her  knees  to- 
pick  them  up  from  the  floor. 

x2 


308  THE  FOUR  GIFTS 

She  was  still  gathering  them  when  the  door  opened 
and  in  came  Denis. 

'  Pearls  !  Are  they  really  pearls  ?  '  he  asked,  falling 
on  his  knees  also,  and  looking  up  at  Tephany  he  per- 
ceived others  still  more  beautiful  rolling  down  the  girl's 
cheeks. 

'  Take  care  not  to  let  any  of  the  neighbours  hear  of 
it,  Denis,'  said  Barbaiik.  '  Of  course  you  shall  have 
your  share,  but  nobody  else  shall  get  a  single  one.  Cry 
on,  my  dear,  cry  on,'  she  continued  to  Tephany.  It  is 
for  your  good  as  well  as  ours,'  and  she  held  out  her 
apron  to  catch  them,  and  Denis  his  hat. 

But  Tephany  could  hardly  bear  any  more.  She  felt 
half  choked  at  the  sight  of  their  greediness,  and  wanted 
to  rush  from  the  hall,  and  though  Barba'ik  caught  her 
arm  to  prevent  this,  and  said  all  sorts  of  tender  words 
which  she  thought  would  make  the  girl  weep  the  more, 
Tephany  with  a  violent  effort  forced  back  her  tears,  and 
wiped  her  eyes. 

'  Is  she  finished  already  ?  '  cried  Barba'ik,  in  a  tone 
of  disappointment.  '  Oh,  try  again,  my  dear.  Do  you 
think  it  would  do  any  good  to  beat  her  a  little  ?  '  she 
added  to  Denis,  who  shook  his  head. 

'  That  is  enough  for  the  first  time.  I  will  go  into  the 
town  and  find  out  the  value  of  each  pearl.' 

'  Then  I  will  go  with  you,'  said  Barba'ik,  who  never 
trusted  anyone  and  was  afraid  of  being  cheated.  So 
the  two  went  out,  leaving  Tephany  behind  them. 

She  sat  quite  still  on  her  chair,  her  hands  clasped 
tightly  together,  as  "if  she  was  forcing  something  back. 
At  last  she  raised  her  eyes,  which  had  been  fixed  on  the 
ground,  and  beheld  the  fairy  standing  in  a  dark  corner 
by  the  hearth,  observing  her  with  a  mocking  look.  The 
girl  trembled  and  jumped  up,  then,  taking  the  feather, 
the  pin,  and  the  box,  she  held  them  out  to  the  old  woman. 

'  Here  they  aie,  all  of  them,'  she  cried  ;  '  they  belong 
to  you.  Let  me  never  see  them  again,  but  I  have  learned 


THE  FOUR  GIFTS  309 

the  lesson  that  they  taught  me.  Others  may  have 
riches,  beauty  and  wit,  but  as  for  me  I  desire  nothing  but 
to  be  the  poor  peasant  girl  I  always  was,  working  hard 
for  those  she  loves.' 

'  Yes,  you  have  learned  your  lesson,'  answered  the 
fairy,  '  and  now  you  shall  lead  a  peaceful  life  and  marry 
the  man  you  love.  For  after  all  it  was  not  yourself  you 
thought  of  but  him.' 

Never  again  did  Tephany  see  the  old  woman,  but  she 
forgave  Denis  for  selling  her  tears,  and  in  time  he  grew 
to  be  a  good  husband,  who  did  his  own  share  of  work. 

From  '  Le  Foyer  Breton,'  par  E.  Souvestre. 


THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK 


IN  old  times,  when  all  kinds  of  wonderful  things  hap- 
pened in  Brittany,  there  lived  in  the  village  of  Lanillis 
a  young  man  named  Houarn  Pogamm  and  a  girl  called 
Bellah  Postik.  They  were  cousins,  and  as  their  mothers 
were  great  friends,  and  constantly  in  and  out  of  each 
other's  houses,  they  had  often  been  laid  in  the  same 
cradle,  and  had  played  and  fought  over  their  games. 

'  When  they  are  grown  up  they  will  marry,'  said  the 
mothers  ;  but  just  as  every  one  was  beginning  to  think 
of  wedding  bells,  the  two  mothers  died,  and  the  cousins, 
who  had  no  money,  went  as  servants  in  the  same 
house.  This  was  better  than  being  parted,  of  course, 
but  not  so  good  as  having  a  little  cottage  of  their  own , 
where  they  could  do  as  they  liked,  and  soon  they  might 
have  been  heard  bewailing  to  each  other  the  hardness 
of  their  lots. 

*  If  we  could  only  manage  to  buy  a  cow  and  get  a 
pig  to  fatten,'  grumbled  Houarn,  '  I  would  rent  a  bit  of 
ground  from  the  master,  and  then  we  could  be  married.' 

'  Yes,'  answered  Bellah,  with  a  deep  sigh  ;  '  but  we 
live  in  such  hard  times,  and  at  the  last  fair  the  price  of 
pigs  had  risen  again.' 

'  We  shall  have  long  to  wait,  that  is  quite  clear/ 
replied  Houarn,  turning  away  to  his  work. 

Whenever  they  met  they  repeated  their  grievances, 
and  at  length  Houarn's  patience  wras  exhausted,  and 
one  morning  he  came  to  Bellah  and  told  her  that  he 
was  going  away  to  seek  his  fortune. 


THE  GROAVH  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK    311 

The  girl  was  very  unhappy  as  she  listened  to  this, 
and  felt  sorry  that  she  had  not  tried  to  make  the  best  of 
things.  She  implored  Houarn  not  to  leave  her,  but  he 
would  listen  to  nothing. 

'  The  birds,'  he  said,  '  continue  flying  until  they 
reach  a  field  of  corn,  and  the  bees  do  not  stop  unless 
they  find  the  honey-giving  flowers,  and  why  should  a 
man  have  less  sense  than  they  ?  Like  them,  I  shall 
seek  till  I  get  what  I  want — that  is,  money  to  buy  a 
cow  and  a  pig  to  fatten.  And  if  you  love  me,  Bellah, 
you  won't  attempt  to  hinder  a  plan  which  will  hasten 
our  marriage.' 

The  girl  saw  it  was  useless  to  say  more,  so  she 
answered  sadly  : 

'  Well,  go  then,  since  you  must.  But  first  I  will 
divide  with  you  all  that  my  parents  left  me,'  and  going 
to  her  room,  she  opened  a  small  chest,  and  took  from  it 
a  bell,  a  knife,  and  a  little  stick. 

'  This  bell,'  she  said,  '  can  be  heard  at  any  distance, 
however  far,  but  it  only  rings  to  warn  us  that  our 
friends  are  in  great  danger.  The  knife  frees  all  it  touches 
from  the  spells  that  have  been  laid  on  them  ;  while  the 
stick  will  carry  you  wherever  you  want  to  go.  I  will 
give  you  the  knife  to  guard  you  against  the  enchant- 
ments of  wizards,  and  the  bell  to  tell  me  of  your  perils. 
The  stick  I  shall  keep  for  myself,  so  that  I  can  fly  to  you 
if  ever  you  have  need  of  me.' 

Then  they  cried  for  a  little  on  each  other's  necks,  and 
Houarn  started  for  the  mountains. 

But  in  those  days,  as  in  these,  beggars  abounded, 
and  through  every  village  he  passed  they  followed 
Houarn  in  crowds,  mistaking  him  for  a  gentleman,  be- 
cause there  were  no  holes  in  his  clothes. 

'  There  is  no  fortune  to  be  made  here,1  he  thought  to 
himself  ;  '  it  is  a  place  for  spending,  and  not  earning. 
I  see  I  must  go  further,'  and  he  walked  on  to  Pont-aven, 
a  pretty  little  town  built  on  the  bank  of  a  river. 


312    THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK 

He  was  sitting  on  a  bench  outside  an  inn,  when  he 
heard  two  men  who  were  loading  their  mules  talking 
about  the  Groac'h  of  the  island  of  Lok. 

'  What  is  a  Groac'h  ?  '  asked  he.  '  I  have  never 
come  across  one.'  And  the  men  answered  that  it  was 
the  name  given  to  the  fairy  that  dwelt  in  the  lake,  and 
that  she  was  rich — oh  !  richer  than  all  the  kings  in  the 
world  put  together.  Many  had  gone  to  the  island  to 
try  and  get  possession  of  her  treasures,  but  no  one  had 
ever  come  back. 

As  he  listened  Houarn's  mind  was  made  up. 

'  I  will  go,  and  return  too,'  he  said  to  the  muleteers. 
They  stared  at  him  in  astonishment,  and  besought  him 
not  to  be  so  mad  and  to  throw  away  his  life  in  such  a 
foolish  manner  ;  but  he  only  laughed,  and  answered 
that  if  they  could  tell  him  of  any  other  way  in  which  to 
procure  a  cow  and  a  pig  to  fatten,  he  would  think  no 
more  about  it.  But  the  men  did  not  know  how  this 
was  to  be  done,  and,  shaking  their  heads  over  his 
obstinacy,  left  him  to  his  fate. 

So  Houarn  went  down  to  the  sea,  and  found  a  boat- 
man who  engaged  to  take  him  to  the  isle  of  Lok. 

The  island  was  large,  and  lying  almost  across  it  was 
a  lake,  with  a  narrow  opening  to  the  sea.  Houarn  paid 
the  boatman  and  sent  him  away,  and  then  proceeded  to 
walk  round  the  lake.  At  one  end  he  perceived  a  small 
skiff,  painted  blue  and  shaped  like  a  swan,  lying  under 
a  clump  of  yellow  broom.  As  far  as  he  could  see,  the 
swan's  head  was  tucked  under  its  wing,  and  Houarn, 
who  had  never  beheld  a  boat  of  the  sort,  went  quickly 
towards  it  and  stepped  in,  so  as  to  examine  it  the 
better.  But  no  sooner  was  he  on  board  than  the  swan 
woke  suddenly  up  ;  his  head  emerged  from  under  his 
wing,  his  feet  began  to  move  in  the  water,  and  in  another 
moment  they  were  in  the  middle  of  the  lake. 

As  soon  as  the  young  man  had  recovered  from  his 
surprise,  he  prepared  to  jump  into  the  lake  and  swim 


THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK    313 

to  shore.  But  the  bird  had  guessed  his  intentions,  and 
plunged  beneath  the  water,  carrying  Houarn  with  him 
to  the  palace  of  the  Groac'h. 

Now,  unless  you  have  been  under  the  sea  and 
beheld  all  the  wonders  that  lie  there,  you  can  never 
have  an  idea  what  the  Groac'h's  palace  was  like.  It  was 
all  made  of  shells,  blue  and  green  and  pink  and  lilac 
and  white,  shading  into  each  other  till  you  could  not 
tell  where  one  colour  ended  and  the  other  began.  The 
staircases  were  of  crystal,  and  every  separate  stair  sang 
like  a  woodland  bird  as  you  put  your  foot  on  it.  Round 
the  palace  were  great  gardens  full  of  all  the  plants  that 
grow  in  the  sea,  with  diamonds  for  flowers. 

In  a  large  hall  the  Groac'h  was  lying  on  a  couch  of 
gold.  The  pink  and  white  of  her  face  reminded  you  of 
the  shells  of  her  palace,  while  her  long  black  hair  was 
intertwined  with  strings  of  coral,  and  her  dress  of  green 
silk  seemed  formed  out  of  the  sea.  At  the  sight  of  her 
Houarn  stopped,  dazzled  by  her  beauty. 

'  Come  in,'  said  the  Groac'h,  rising  to  her  feet. 
'  Strangers  and  handsome  youths  are  always  welcome 
here.  Do  not  be  shy,  but  tell  me  how  you  found  your 
way,  and  what  you  want.' 

'  My  name  is  Houarn,'  he  answered,  '  Lanillis  is  my 
home,  and  I  am  trying  to  earn  enough  money  to  buy  a 
little  cow  and  a  pig  to  fatten.' 

'  Well,  you  can  easily  get  that,'  replied  she  ;  '  it 
is  nothing  to  worry  about.  Come  in  and  enjoy  your- 
self.' And  she  beckoned  him  to  follow  her  into  a 
second  hall  whose  floors  and  walls  were  formed  of 
pearls,  while  down  the  sides  there  were  tables  laden 
with  fruit  and  wines  of  all  kinds  ;  and  as  he  ate  and 
drank,  the  Groac'h  talked  to  him  and  told  him  how 
the  treasures  he  saw  came  from  shipwrecked  vessels, 
and  were  brought  to  her  palace  by  a  magic  current  of 
water. 


314    THE  GROAVH  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK 

'  I  do  not  wonder,'  exclaimed  Houarn,  who  now  felt 
quite  at  home — '  I  do  not  wonder  that  the  people  on  the 
earth  have  so  much  to  say  about  you.' 

'  The  rich  are  always  envied.' 


'  For  myself,'  he  added,  with  a  laugh,  '  I  only  ask 
for  the  half  of  your  wealth.' 

'  You  can  have  it,  if  you  will,  Houarn,'  answered  the 
fairy. 


THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK    315 

'  What  do  you  mean  ?  '  cried  he. 

'  My  husband,  Korandon,  is  dead,'  she  replied,  '  and 
if  you  wish  it,  I  will  marry  you.' 

The  young  man  gazed  at  her  in  surprise.  Could 
any  one  so  rich  and  so  beautiful  really  wish  to  be  his 
wife  ?  He  looked  at  her  again,  and  Bellah  was  for- 
gotten as  he  answered  : 

'  A  man  would  be  mad  indeed  to  refuse  such  an  offer. 
I  can  only  accept  it  with  joy.' 

'  Then  the  sooner  it  is  done  the  better,'  said  the 
Groac'h,  and  gave  orders  to  her  servants.  After  that 
was  finished,  she  begged  Houarn  to  accompany  her  to 
a  fish-pond  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden. 

'  Come  lawyer,  come  miller,  come  tailor,  come 
singer  ! '  cried  she,  holding  out  a  net  of  steel ;  and  at 
each  summons  a  fish  appeared  and  jumped  into  the  net. 
When  it  was  full  she  went  into  a  large  kitchen  and 
threw  them  all  into  a  golden  pot ;  but  above  the  bubbling 
of  the  water  Houarn  seemed  to  hear  the  whispering  of 
little  voices. 

'  Who  is  it  whispering  in  the  golden  pot,  Groac'h  ?  ' 
he  inquired  at  last. 

'  It  is  nothing  but  the  noise  of  the  wood  sparkling,' 
she  answered  ;  but  it  did  not  sound  the  least  like  that 
to  Houarn. 

'  There  it  is  again,'  he  said,  after  a  short  pause. 

'  The  water  is  getting  hot,  and  it  makes  the  fish 
jump,'  she  replied  ;  but  soon  the  noise  grew  louder  and 
like  cries. 

'  What  is  it  ? '  asked  Houarn,  beginning  to  feel 
uncomfortable. 

'  Just  the  crickets  on  the  hearth,'  said  she,  and  broke 
into  a  song  which  drowned  the  cries  from  the  pot. 

But  though  Houarn  held  his  peace,  he  was  not  as 
happy  as  before.  Something  seemed  to  have  gone 
wrong,  and  then  he  suddenly  remembered  Bellah. 


316     THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK 

'  Is  it  possible  I  can  have  forgotten  her  so  soon  ? 
What  a  wretch  I  am  !  '  he  thought  to  himself  ;  and  he 
remained  apart  and  watched  the  Groac'h  while  she 
emptied  the  fish  into  a  plate,  and  bade  him  eat  his 
dinner  while  she  fetched  wine  from  her  cellar  in  a  cave. 

Houarn  sat  down  and  took  out  the  knife  which 
Bellah  had  given  him,  but  as  soon  as  the  blade  touched 
the  fish  the  enchantment  ceased,  and  four  men  stood 
before  him. 

'  Houarn,  save  us,  we  entreat  you,  and  save  yourself 
too  !  '  murmured  they,  not  daring  to  raise  their  voices. 

'  Why,  it  must  have  been  you  who  were  crying  out 
in  the  pot  just  now  !  '  exclaimed  Houarn. 

'  Yes,  it  was  us,'  they  answered.  '  Like  you,  we 
came  to  the  isle  of  Lok  to  seek  our  fortunes,  and  like  you 
we  consented  to  marry  the  Groac'h,  and  no  sooner  was 
the  ceremony  over  than  she  turned  us  into  fishes,  as  she 
had  done  to  all  our  forerunners,  who  are  in  the  fish-pond 
still,  where  you  will  shortly  join  them.' 

On  hearing  this  Houarn  leaped  into  the  air,  as  if  he 
already  felt  himself  frizzling  in  the  golden  pot.  He 
rushed  to  the  door,  hoping  to  escape  that  way  ;  but  the 
Groac'h,  who  had  heard  everything,  met  him  on  the 
threshold.  Instantly  she  threw  the  steel  net  over  his 
head,  and  the  eyes  of  a  little  green  frog  peeped  through 
the  meshes. 

'  You  shall  go  and  play  with  the  rest,'  she  said, 
carrying  him  off  to  the  fish-pond. 

It  was  at  this  very  moment  that  Bellah,  who  was 
skimming  the  milk  in  the  farm  dairy,  heard  the  fairy 
bell  tinkle  violently. 

At  the  sound  she  grew  pale,  for  she  knew  it  meant 
that  Houarn  was  in  danger  ;  and,  hastily  changing  the 
rough  dress  she  wore  for  her  work,  she  left  the  farm 
with  the  magic  stick  in  her  hand. 

Her  knees  were  trembling  under  her,  but  she  ran  as 


THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK    317 

fast  as  she  could  to  the  cross  roads,  where  she  drove  her 
stick  into  the  ground,  murmuring  as  she  did  so  a  verse 
her  mother  had  taught  her  : 

Little  staff  of  apple-tree, 
Over  the  earth  and  over  the  sea, 
Up  in  the  air  be  guide  to  me, 
Everywhere  to  wander  free, 

and  immediately  the  stick  became  a  smart  little  horse, 
with  a  rosette  at  each  ear  and  a  feather  on  his  forehead. 
He  stood  quite  still  while  Bellah  scrambled  up,  then 
he  started  off,  his  pace  growing  quicker  and  quicker,  till 
at  length  the  girl  could  hardly  see  the  trees  and  houses 
as  they  flashed  past.  But,  rapid  as  the  pace  was,  it  was 
not  rapid  enough  for  Bellah,  who  stooped  and  said  : 

'  The  swallow  is  less  swift  than  the  wind,  the  wind 
is  less  swift  than  the  lightning.  But  you,  my  horse,  if 
you  love  me,  must  be  swifter  than  them  all,  for  there  is 
a  part  of  my  heart  that  suffers — the  best  part  of  my 
heart  that  is  in  danger.' 

And  the  horse  heard  her,  and  galloped  like  a  straw 
carried  along  by  a  tempest  till  they  reached  the  foot  of 
a  rock  called  the  Leap  of  the  Deer.  There  he  stopped, 
for  no  horse  or  mule  that  ever  was  born  could  climb  that 
rock,  and  Bellah  knew  it,  so  she  began  to  sing  again  : 

Horse  of  Leon,  given  to  me, 
Over  the  earth  and  over  the  sea, 
Up  in  the  air  be  guide  to  me, 
Everywhere  to  wander  free, 

and  when  she  had  finished,  the  horse's  fore  legs  grew 
shorter  and  spread  into  wings,  his  hind  legs  became 
claws,  feathers  sprouted  all  over  his  body,  and  she  sat 
on  the  back  of  a  great  bird,  which  bore  her  to  the 
summit  of  the  rock.  Here  she  found  a  nest  made  of 
clay  and  lined  with  dried  moss,  and  in  the  centre  a  tiny 
man,  black  and  wrinkled,  who  gave  a  cry  of  surprise  at 
the  sight  of  Bellah. 


318     THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK 

1  Ah  !  you  are  the  pretty  girl  who  was  to  come  and 
save  me  !  ' 

'  To  save  you  ! '  repeated  Bellah.  '  But  who  are  you, 
my  little  friend  ?  ' 

'  I  am  the  husband  of  the  Groac'h  of  the  isle  of  Lok, 
and  it  is  owing  to  her  that  I  am  here.' 

*  But  what  are  you  doing  in  this  nest  ?  ' 


'  I  am  sitting  on  six  eggs  of  stone,  and  I  shall  not  be 
set  free  till  they  are  hatched.' 

On  hearing  this  Bellah  began  to  laugh. 

'  Poor  little  cock  !  '  she  said, '  and  how  am  I  to  deliver 
you?' 

'  By  delivering  Houarn,  who  is  in  the  power  of  the 
Groac'h.' 

'  Ah  !   tell  me  how  I  can  manage  that,  and  if  I  have 


THE  GROAVH  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK    319 

to  walk  round  the  whole  of    Brittany  on  my  bended 
knees  I  will  do  it !  ' 

'  Well,  first  you  must  dress  yourself  as  a  young 
man,  and  then  go  and  seek  the  Groac'h.  When  you  have 
found  her  you  must  contrive  to  get  hold  of  the  net  of 
steel  that  hangs  from  her  waist,  and  shut  her  up  in  it 
for  ever.' 

'  But  where  am  I  to  find  a  young  man's  clothes  ?  ' 
asked  she. 

'  I  will  show  you,'  he  replied,  and  as  he  spoke  he 
pulled  out  three  of  his  red  hairs  and  blew  them  away, 
muttering  something  the  while.  In  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye  the  four  hairs  changed  into  four  tailors,  of  whom 
the  first  carried  a  cabbage,  the  second  a  pair  of  scissors, 
the  third  a  needle,  and  the  fourth  an  iron.  Without 
waiting  for  orders,  they  sat  down  in  the  nest  and,  cross- 
ing their  legs  comfortably,  began  to  prepare  the  suit  of 
clothes  for  Bellah. 

With  one  of  the  leaves  of  the  cabbage  they  made  her 
a  coat,  and  another  served  for  a  waistcoat ;  but  it  took 
two  for  the  wide  breeches  which  were  then  in  fashion. 
The  hat  was  cut  from  the  heart  of  the  cabbage,  and  a 
pair  of  shoes  from  the  thick  stem.  And  when  Bellah 
had  put  them  all  on  you  would  have  taken  her  for 
a  gentleman  dressed  in  green  velvet,  lined  with  white 
satin. 

She  thanked  the  little  men  gratefully,  and  after  a 
few  more  instructions,  jumped  on  the  back  of  her  great 
bird  and  was  borne  away  to  the  isle  of  Lok.  Once 
there,  she  bade  him  transform  himself  back  into  a  stick, 
and  with  it  in  her  hand  she  stepped  into  the  blue  boat, 
which  conducted  her  to  the  palace  of  shells. 

The  Groac'h  seemed  overjoyed  to  see  her,  and  told 
her  that  never  before  had  she  beheld  such  a  handsome 
young  man.  Very  soon  she  led  her  visitor  into  the 
great  hall,  where  wine  and  fruit  were  always  waiting, 
and  on  the  table  lay  the  magic  knife,  left  there  by 


320    THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK 

Houarn.  Unseen  by  the  Groac'h,  Bellah  hid  it  in  a 
pocket  of  her  green  coat,  and  then  followed  her  hostess 
into  the  garden,  and  to  the  pond  which  contained  the 
fish,  their  sides  shining  with  a  thousand  different  colours. 

'  Oh  !  what  beautiful,  beautiful  creatures  ! '  said 
she.  '  I'm  sure  I  should  never  be  tired  of  watching 
them.'  And  she  sat  down  on  the  bank,  with  her  elbows 
on  her  knees  and  her  chin  in  her  hands,  her  eyes  fixed  on 
the  fishes  as  they  flashed  past. 

'  Would  you  not  like  to  stay  here  always  ?  '  asked  the 
Groac'h  ;  and  Bellah  answ-ered  that  she  desired  nothing 
better. 

'  Then  you  have  only  to  marry  me,'  said  the  Groac'h. 
'  Oh  !  don't  say  no,  for  I  have  fallen  deeply  in  love 
with  you.' 

'  Well,  I  won't  say  "  No,"  '  replied  Bellah,  with  a 
laugh,  '  but  you  must  promise  first  to  let  me  catch  one 
of  those  lovely  fish  in  your  net.' 

'  It  is  not  so  easy  as  it  looks,'  rejoined  the  Groac'h, 
smiling,  '  but  take  it,  and  try  your  luck.' 

Bellah  took  the  net  which  the  Groac'h  held  out,  and, 
turning  rapidly,  flung  it  over  the  witch's  head. 

'  Become  in  body  what  you  are  in  soul !  '  cried  she, 
and  in  an  instant  the  lovely  fairy  of  the  sea  was  a  toad, 
horrible  to  look  upon.  She  struggled  hard  to  tear  the 
net  asunder,  but  it  was  no  use.  Bellah  only  drew  it  the 
tighter,  and,  flinging  the  sorceress  into  a  pit,  she  rolled 
a  great  stone  across  the  mouth,  and  left  her. 

As  she  drew  near  the  pond  she  saw  a  great  procession 
of  fishes  advancing  to  meet  her,  crying  in  hoarse  tones  : 

'  This  is  our  lord  and  master,  who  has  saved  us  from 
the  net  of  steel  and  the  pot  of  gold  !  ' 

'  And  who  will  restore  you  to  your  proper  shapes,' 
said  Bellah,  drawing  the  knife  from  her  pocket.  But 
just  as  she  was  going  to  touch  the  foremost  fish,  her 
eyes  fell  on  a  green  frog  on  his  knees  beside  her,  his  little 
paws  crossed  over  his  little  heart.  Bellah  felt  as  if 


THE  GROAC'H  OF  THE  ISLE  OF  LOK    321 

fingers    were    tightening    round    her    throat,    but    she 

managed  to  cry  : 

'  Is  this  you,  my  Houarn  ?     Is  this  you  ?  ' 

'  It  is  I,'  croaked  the  little  frog ;    and  as  the  knife 

touched  him  he  was  a  man  again,  and,  springing  up,  he 

clasped  her  in  his  arms. 

'  But  we  must  not  forget  the  others,'  she  said  at 
last,  and  began  to  transform  the  fishes  to  their  proper 
shapes.  There  were  so  many  of  them  that  it  took 
quite  a  long  time.  Just  as  she  had  finished  there  arrived 
the  little  dwarf  from  the  Deer's  Leap  in  a  car  drawn 
by  six  cockchafers,  which  once  had  been  the  six  stone 
eggs. 

'  Here  I  am  !  '  he  exclaimed.  '  You  have  broken  the 
spell  that  held  me,  and  now  come  and  get  your  reward,' 
and,  dismounting  from  his  chariot,  he  led  them  down 
into  the  caves  filled  with  gold  and  jewels,  and  bade 
Bellah  and  Houarn  take  as  much  as  they  wanted. 

When  their  pockets  were  full,  Bellah  ordered  her 
stick  to  become  a  winged  carriage,  large  enough  to  bear 
them  and  the  men  they  had  rescued  back  to  Lanillis. 

There  they  were  married  the  next  day,  but  instead 
of  setting  up  housekeeping  with  the  little  cow  and  pig 
to  fatten  that  they  had  so  long  wished  for,  they  were 
able  to  buy  lands  for  miles  round  for  themselves,  and 
gave  each  man  who  had  been  delivered  from  the  Groac'h 
a  small  farm,  where  he  lived  happily  to  the  end  of  his 
days. 

From  '  Le  Foyer  Breton,'  par  E.  Souvestre. 


L. 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE 

MANAWYDDAN  the  prince  and  his  friend  Pryderi  were 
wanderers,  for  the  brother  of  Manawyddan  had  been 
slain,  and  his  throne  taken  from  him.  Very  sorrowful 
was  Manawyddan,  but  Pryderi  was  stout  of  heart,  and 
bade  him  be  of  good  cheer,  as  he  knew  a  way  out  of 
his  trouble. 

'  And  what  may  that  be  ?  '  asked  Manawyddan. 

'  It  is  that  thou  marry  my  mother  Rhiannon  and 
become  lord  of  the  fair  lands  that  I  will  give  her  for 
dowry.  Never  did  any  lady  have  more  wit  than  she, 
and  in  her  youth  none  was  more  lovely ;  even  yet  she  is 
good  to  look  upon.' 

'  Thou  art  the  best  friend  that  ever  a  man  had,'  said 
Manawyddan.  '  Let  us  go  now  to  seek  Rhiannon,  and 
the  lands  where  she  dwells.' 

Then  they  set  forth,  but  the  news  of  their  coming 
ran  swifter  still,  and  Rhiannon  and  Kicva,  wife  of 
Pryderi,  made  haste  to  prepare  a  feast  for  them.  And 
Manawyddan  found  that  Pryderi  had  spoken  the  truth 
concerning  his  mother,  and  asked  if  she  would  take  him 
for  her  husband.  Right  gladly  did  she  consent,  and 
without  delay  they  were  married,  and  rode  away  to  the 
hunt,  Rhiannon  and  Manawyddan,  Kicva  and  Pryderi, 
and  they  would  not  be  parted  from  each  other  by  night 
or  by  day,  so  great  was  the  love  between  them. 

One  day,  when  they  were  returned,  they  were  sitting 
out  in  a  green  place,  and  suddenly  the  crash  of  thunder 
struck  loudly  on  their  ears,  and  a  wall  of  mist  fell  between 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE         323 

them,  so  that  they  were  hidden  one  from  the  other. 
Trembling  they  sat  till  the  darkness  fled  and  the  light 
shone  again  upon  them,  but  in  the  place  where  they 
were  wont  to  see  cattle,  and  herds,  and  dwellings,  they 
beheld  neither  house  nor  beast,  nor  man  nor  smoke; 
neither  was  any  one  remaining  in  the  green  place  save 
these  four  only. 

'  Whither  have  they  gone,  and  my  host  also  ?  ' 
cried  Manawyddan,  and  they  searched  the  hall,  and 
there  was  no  man,  and  the  castle,  and  there  was  none, 
and  in  the  dwellings  that  were  left  was  nothing  save 
wild'  beasts.  For  a  year  these  four  fed  on  the  meat 
that  Manawyddan  and  Pryderi  killed  out  hunting, 
and  the  honey  of  the  bees  that  sucked  the  mountain 
heather.  For  a  time  they  desired  nothing  more,  but 
when  the  next  year  began  they  grew  weary. 

'  We  cannot  spend  our  lives  thus,'  said  Manawyddan 
at  last,  '  let  us  go  into  England  and  learn  some  trade 
by  which  we  may  live.'  So  they  left  Wales,  and  went 
to  Hereford,  and  there  they  made  saddles,  while  Mana- 
wyddan fashioned  blue  enamel  ornaments  to  put  on 
their  trappings.  And  so  greatly  did  the  townsfolk 
love  these  saddles,  that  no  others  were  bought  through- 
out the  whole  of  Hereford,  till  the  saddlers  banded 
together  and  resolved  to  slay  Manawyddan  and  his 
companions. 

When  Pryderi  heard  of  it,  he  was  very  wroth,  and 
wished  to  stay  and  fight.  But  the  counsels  of  Mana- 
wyddan prevailed,  and  they  moved  by  night  to  another 
city. 

'  What  craft  shall  \ve  follow  ?  '  asked  Pryderi. 

'  We  will  make  shields,'  answered  Manawyddan. 

'  But  do  we  know  anything  of  that  craft  ? '  answered 
Pryderi. 

'  We  will  try  it,'  said  Manawyddan,  and  they  began 
to  make  shields,  and  fashioned  them  after  the  shape  of 

Y2 


324          THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE 

the  shields  they  had  seen  ;  and  these  likewise  they 
enamelled.  And  so  greatly  did  they  prosper  that  no 
man  in  the  town  bought  a  shield  except  they  had  made  it, 
till  at  length  the  shield-makers  banded  together  as  the 
saddlers  had  done,  and  resolved  to  slay  them.  But  of 
this  they  had  warning,  and  by  night  betook  themselves 
to  another  town. 

'  Let  us  take  to  making  shoes,'  said  Manawyddan, 
'  for  there  are  not  any  among  the  shoemakers  bold 
enough  to  fight  us.' 

'  I  know  nothing  of  making  shoes,'  answered  Pryderi, 
who  in  truth  despised  so  peaceful  a  craft. 

'  But  I  know,'  replied  Manawyddan, '  and  I  will  teach 
thee  to  stitch.  We  will  buy  the  leather  ready  dressed, 
and  will  make  the  shoes  from  it.' 

Then  straightway  he  sought  the  town  for  the  best 
leather,  and  for  a  goldsmith  to  fashion  the  clasps,  and  he 
himself  watched  till  it  was  done,  so  that  he  might  learn 
for  himself.  Soon  he  became  known  as  '  The  Maker  of 
Gold  Shoes,'  and  prospered  so  greatly,  that  as  long  as 
one  could  be  bought  from  him  not  a  shoe  was  purchased 
from  the  shoemakers  of  the  town.  And  the  craftsmen 
were  wroth,  and  banded  together  to  slay  them. 

'  Pryderi,'  said  Manawyddan,  when  he  had  received 
news  of  it,  '  we  will  not  remain  in  England  any  longer. 
Let  us  set  forth  to  Dyved.' 

So  they  journeyed  until  they  came  to  their  lands  at 
Narberth.  There  they  gathered  their  dogs  round  them, 
and  hunted  for  a  year  as  before. 

After  that  a  strange  thing  happened.  One  morning 
Pryderi  and  Manawyddan  rose  up  to  hunt,  and  loosened 
their  dogs,  which  ran  before  them,  till  they  came  to  a 
small  bush.  At  the  bush,  the  dogs  shrank  away  as  if 
frightened,  and  returned  to  their  masters,  their  hair 
bristling  on  their  backs. 

'  We  must  see  what  is  in  that  bush,'  said  Pryderi,  and 
what  was  in  it  was  a  boar,  with  a  skin  as  white  as  the 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE         325 

snow  on  the  mountains.  And  he  came  out,  and  made  a 
stand  as  the  dogs  rushed  on  him,  driven  on  by  the  men. 
Long  he  stood  at  bay  ;  then  at  last  he  betook  himself 
to  flight,  and  fled  to  a  castle  which  was  newly  built,  in  a 
place  where  no  building  had  ever  been  known.  Into  the 
castle  he  ran,  and  the  dogs  after  him,  and  long  though 
their  masters  looked  and  listened,  they  neither  saw  nor 
heard  aught  concerning  dogs  or  boar. 

'  I  will  go  into  the  castle  and  get  tidings  of  the  dogs,' 
said  Pryderi  at  last. 

'  Truly,'  answered  Manawyddan,  *  thou  wouldst  do 
unwisely,  for  whosoever  has  cast  a  spell  over  this  land 
has  set  this  castle  here.' 

'  I  cannot  give  up  my  dogs,'  replied  Pryderi,  and  to 
the  castle  he  went. 

But  within  was  neither  man  nor  beast ;  neither  boar 
nor  dogs,  but  only  a  fountain  with  marble  round  it, 
and  on  the  edge  a  golden  bowl,  richly  wrought,  which 
pleased  Pryderi  greatly.  In  a  moment  he  forgot  about 
his  dogs,  and  went  up  to  the  bowl  and  took  hold  of  it, 
and  his  hands  stuck  to  the  bowl,  and  his  feet  to  the 
marble  slab,  and  despair  took  possession  of  him. 

Till  the  close  of  day  Manawyddan  waited  for  him,  and 
when  the  sun  was  fast  sinking,  he  went  home,  thinking 
that  he  had  strayed  far. 

'  Where  are  thy  friend  and  thy  dogs  ? '  said  Rhiannon, 
and  he  told  her  what  had  befallen  Pryderi. 

'  A  good  friend  hast  thou  lost,'  answered  Rhiannon, 
and  she  went  up  to  the  castle  and  through  the  gate, 
which  was  open.  There,  in  the  centre  of  the  courtyard, 
she  beheld  Pryderi  standing,  and  hastened  towards 
him. 

'  What  dost  thou  here  ?  '  she  asked,  laying  her  hand 
on  the  bowl,  and  as  she  spoke  she  too  stuck  fast,  and 
was  not  able  to  utter  a  word.  Then  thunder  was  heard 
and  a  veil  of  darkness  descended  upon  them,  and  the 
castle  vanished  and  they  with  it. 


326          THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE 

When  Kicva,  the  wife  of  Pryderi,  found  that  neither 
her  husband  nor  his  mother  returned  to  her,  she  was 
in  such  sorrow  that  she  cared  not  whether  she  lived  or 
died.  Manawyddan  was  grieved  also  in  his  heart,  and 
said  to  her  : 

'  It  is  not  fitting  that  we  should  stay  here,  for  we 
have  lost  our  dogs  and  cannot  get  food.  Let  us  go  into 
England — it  is  easier  for  us  to  live  there.'  So  they  set 
forth. 

'  What  craft  wilt  thou  follow  ?  '  asked  Kicva  as  they 
went  along. 

'  I  shall  make  shoes  as  once  I  did,'  replied  he  ;  and  he 
got  all  the  finest  leather  in  the  town  and  caused  gilded 
clasps  to  be  made  for  the  shoes,  till  everyone  flocked 
to  buy,  and  all  the  shoemakers  in  the  town  were  idle 
and  banded  together  in  anger  to  kill  him.  But  luckily 
Manawyddan  got  word  of  it,  and  he  and  Kicva  left  the 
town  one  night  and  proceeded  to  Narberth,  taking  with 
him  a  sheaf  of  wheat,  which  he  sowed  in  three  plots 
of  ground.  And  while  the  wheat  was  growing  up,  he 
hunted  and  fished,  and  they  had  food  enough  and  to 
spare.  Thus  the  months  passed  until  the  harvest ;  and 
one  evening  Manawyddan  visited  the  furthest  of  his 
fields  of  wheat ;  and  Saw  that  it  was  ripe. 

'  To-morrow  I  will  reap  this,'  said  he  ;  but  on  the 
morrow  when  he  went  to  reap  the  wheat  he  found 
nothing  but  the  bare  straw. 

Filled  with  dismay  he  hastened  to  the  second  field, 
and  there  the  corn  was  ripe  and  golden. 

'  To-morrow  I  will  reap  this,'  he  said,  but  on  the 
morrow  the  ears  had  gone,  and  there  was  nothing  but  the 
bare  straw. 

'  Well,  there  is  still  one  field  left,'  he  said,  and  when 
he  looked  at  it,  it  was  still  fairer  than  the  other  two. 
'  To-night  I  will  watch  here,'  thought  he,  '  for  whosoever 
carried  off  the  other  corn  will  in  like  manner  take  this, 
and  I  will  know  who  it  is.'  So  he  hid  himself  and  waited. 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE         327 

The  hours  slid  by,  and  all  was  still,  so  still  that 
Manawyddan  well-nigh  dropped  asleep.  But  at  mid- 
night there  arose  the  loudest  tumult  in  the  world,  and 
peeping  out  he  beheld  a  mighty  host  of  mice,  which 
could  neither  be  numbered  nor  measured.  Each 
mouse  climbed  up  a  straw  till  it  bent  down  with  its 
weight,  and  then  it  bit  off  one  of  the  ears,  and  carried  it 
away,  and  there  was  not  one  of  the  straws  that  had  not 
got  a  mouse  to  it. 

Full  of  wrath  he  rushed  at  the  mice,  but  he  could  no 
more  come  up  with  them  than  if  they  had  been  gnats, 
or  birds  of  the  air,  save  one  only  which  lingered  behind 
the  rest,  and  this  mouse  Manawyddan  came  up  with. 
Stooping  down  he  seized  it  by  the  tail,  and  put  it  in  his 
glove,  and  tied  a  piece  of  string  across  the  opening  of 
the  glove,  so  that  the  mouse  could  not  escape.  When  he 
entered  the  hall  where  Kicva  was  sitting,  he  lighted  a 
fire,  and  hung  the  glove  up  on  a  peg. 

*  What  hast  thou  there  ?  '  asked  she. 

'  A  thief,'  he  answered,  '  that  I  caught  robbing  me.' 

*  What  kind  of  a  thief  may  it  be  which  thou  couldst 
put  in  thy  glove  ?  '  said  Kicva. 

'  That  I  will  tell  thee,'  he  replied,  and  then  he  showed 
her  how  his  fields  of  corn  had  been  wasted,  and  how  he 
had  watched  for  the  mice. 

'  And  one  was  lees  nimble  than  the  rest,  and  is  now 
in  my  glove.  To-morrow  I  will  hang  it,  and  I  only  wish 
I  had  them  all.' 

'  It  is  a  marvel,  truly,'  said  she,  '  yet  it  would  be 
unseemly  for  a  man  of  thy  dignity  to  hang  a  reptile 
such  as  this.  Do  not  meddle  with  it,  but  let  it  go.' 

'  Woe  betide  me,'  he  cried,  '  if  I  would  not  hang  them 
all  if  I  could  catch  them,  and  such  as  I  have  I  will 
hang.' 

'  Verily,'  said  she,  '  there  is  no  reason  that  I  should 
succour  this  reptile,  except  to  prevent  discredit  unto 
thee.' 


328          THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE 

'  If  I  knew  any  cause  that  I  should  succour  it,  I 
would  take  thy  counsel,'  answered  Manawyddan,  '  but  as 
I  know  of  none,  I  am  minded  to  destroy  it.' 

'  Do  so  then,'  said  Kicva. 

So  he  went  up  a  hill  and  set  up  two  forks  on  the  top, 
and  while  he  was  doing  this  he  saw  a  scholar  coming 
towards  him,  whose  clothes  were  tattered.  Now  it  was 
seven  years  since  Manawyddan  had  seen  man  or  beast 
in  that  place,  and  the  sight  amazed  him. 

'  Good  day  to  thee,  my  lord,'  said  the  scholar. 

'  Good  greeting  to  thee,  scholar.  Whence  dost  thou 
come  ? ' 

'  From  singing  in  England  ;  but  wherefore  dost  thou 
ask?' 

'  Because  for  seven  years  no  man  hath  visited  this 
place.' 

'  I  wander  where  I  will,'  answered  the  scholar.  '  And 
what  work  art  thou  upon  ?  ' 

'  I  am  about  to  hang  a  thief  that  I  caught  robbing 
me!' 

'  What  manner  of  thief  is  that  ?  '  inquired  the 
scholar.  '  I  see  a  creature  in  thy  hand  like  unto  a  mouse, 
and  ill  does  it  become  a  man  of  thy  rank  to  touch  a 
reptile  like  this.  Let  it  go  free.' 

'  I  will  not  let  it  go  free,'  cried  Manawyddan.  '  I 
caught  it  robbing  me,  and  it  shall  suffer  the  doom  of  a 
thief.' 

'  Lord  !  '  said  the  scholar,  '  sooner  than  see  a  man 
like  thee  at  such  a  work,  I  would  give  thee  a  pound  which 
I  have  received  as  alms  to  let  it  go  free.' 

'  I  will  not  let  it  go  free,  neither  will  I  sell  it.' 

'  As  thou  wilt,  lord,'  answered  the  scholar,  and  he 
went  his  way. 

Manawyddan  was  placing  the  cross-beam  on  the 
two  forked  sticks,  where  the  mouse  was  to  hang,  when  a 
priest  rode  past. 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE         329 

'  Good-day  to  thee,  lord  ;  and  what  art  thou  doing  ?  ' 

'  I  am  hanging  a  thief  that  I  caught  robbing  me.' 

'  What  manner  of  thief,  lord  ?  ' 

'  A  creature  in  the  form  of  a  mouse.  It  has  been 
robbing  me,  and  it  shall  suffer  the  doom  of  a  thief.' 

'  Lord,'  said  the  priest,  '  sooner  than  see  thee  touch 
this  reptile,  I  would  purchase  its  freedom.' 

'  I  will  neither  sell  it  nor  set  it  free.' 

'  It  is  true  that  a  mouse  is  worth  nothing,  but 
rather  than  see  thee  defile  thyself  with  touching  such  a 
reptile  as  this,  I  will  give  thee  three  pounds  for  it.' 

'  I  will  not  take  any  price  for  it.  It  shall  be  hanged 
as  it  deserves.' 

'  Willingly,  my  lord,  if  it  is  thy  pleasure.'  And  the 
priest  went  his  way. 

Then  Manawyddan  noosed  the  string  about  the 
mouse's  neck,  and  was  about  to  draw  it  tight  when  a 
bishop,  with  a  great  following  and  horses  bearing  huge 
packs,  came  by. 

'  What  work  art  thou  upon  ?  '  asked  the  bishop, 
drawing  rein. 

'  Hanging  a  thief  that  I  caught  robbing  me.' 

'  But  is  not  that  a  mouse  that  I  see  in  thine  hand  ?  ' 
asked  the  bishop. 

'  Yes  ;  that  is  the  thief,'  answered  Manawyddan. 

'  Well,  since  I  have  come  at  the  doom  of  this  reptile, 
I  will  ransom  it  of  thee  for  seven  pounds,  rather  than 
see  a  man  of  thy  rank  touch  it.  Loose  it,  and  let  it  go  !  ' 

'  I  will  not  let  it  loose.' 

'  I  will  give  thee  four  and  twenty  pounds  to  set  it 
free,'  said  the  bishop. 

'  I  will  not  set  it  free  for  as  much  again.' 

'  If  thou  wilt  not  set  it  free  for  this,  I  will  give  thee 
all  the  horses  thou  seest  and  the  seven  loads  of  baggage.' 

'  I  will  not  set  it  free.' 

'  Then  tell  me  at  what  price  thou  wilt  loose  it,  and 
1  will  give  it.' 


330         THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE 

1  The  spell  must  be  taken  off  Rhiannon  and  Pryderi,' 
said  Manawyddan. 

'  That  shall  be  done.' 

'  But  not  yet  will  I  loose  the  mouse.  The  charm 
that  has  been  cast  over  all  my  lands  must  be  taken  off 
likewise.' 

'  This  shall  be  done  also.' 

'  But  not  yet  will  I  loose  the  mouse  till  I  know  who 
she  is.' 

'  She  is  my  wife,'  answered  the  bishop. 

4  And  wherefore  came  she  to  me  ?  '  asked  Manawyd- 
dan. 

'  To  despoil  thee,'  replied  the  bishop,  '  for  it  is  I  who 
cast  the  charm  over  thy  lands,  to  avenge  Gwawl  the 
son  of  Clud  my  friend.  And  it  was  I  who  threw  the 
spell  upon  Pryderi  to  avenge  Gwawl  for  the  trick  that 
had  been  played  on  him  in  the  game  of  Badger  in  the 
Bag.  And  not  only  was  I  wroth,  but  my  people  likewise, 
and  when  it  was  known  that  thou  wast  come  to  dwell 
in  the  land,  they  besought  me  much  to  change  them 
into  mice,  that  they  might  eat  thy  corn.  The  first 
and  the  second  nights  it  was  the  men  of  my  own 
house  that  destroyed  thy  two  fields,  but  on  the  third 
night  my  wife  and  her  ladies  came  to  me  and  begged 
me  to  change  them  also  into  the  shape  of  mice,  that 
they  might  take  part  in  avenging  Gwawl.  Therefore  I 
changed  them.  Yet  had  she  not  been  ill  and  slow  of 
foot,  thou  couldst  not  have  overtaken  her.  Still,  since 
she  was  caught,  I  will  restore  thee  Pryderi  and  Rhiannon, 
and  will  take  the  charm  from  off  thy  lands.  I  have 
told  thee  who  she  is  ;  so  now  set  her  free.' 

'  I  will  not  set  her  free,'  answered  Manawyddan,  '  till 
thou  swear  that  no  vengeance  shall  be  taken  for  this, 
either  upon  Pryderi,  or  upon  Rhiannon,  or  on  me.' 

'  I  grant  thee  this  boon  ;  and  thou  hast  done  wisely  to 
ask  it,  for  on  thy  head  would  have  lit  all  the  trouble. 
Set  now  my  wife  free.' 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  THE  MOUSE          331 

'  I  will  not  set  her  free  till  Pryderi  and  Rhiannon 
are  with  me.' 

'  Behold,  here  they  come,'  said  the  bishop. 

Then  Manawyddan  held  out  his  hands  and  greeted 
Pryderi  and  Rhiannon,  and  they  seated  themselves- 
joyfully  on  the  grass. 

'  Ah,  lord,  hast  thou  not  received  all  thou  didst 
ask  ? '  said  the  bishop.  '  Set  now  my  wife  free  ! ' 

'  That  I  will  gladly,'  answered  Manawyddan,  unloos- 
ing the  cord  from  her  neck,  and  as  he  did  so  the  bishop 
struck  her  with  his  staff,  and  she  turned  into  a  young 
woman,  the  fairest  that  ever  was  seen. 

'  Look  around  upon  thy  land,'  said  he,  '  and  thou 
wilt  see  it  all  tilled  and  peopled,  as  it  was  long  ago.' 
And  Manawyddan  looked,  and  saw  corn  growing  in 
the  fields,  and  cows  and  sheep  grazing  on  the  hill-side, 
and  huts  for  the  people  to  dwell  in.  And  he  was  satisfied 
in  his  soul,  but  one  more  question  he  put  to  the  bishop, 

'  What  spell  didst  thou  lay  upon  Pryderi  and  Rhian- 
non ?' 

'  Pryderi  has  had  the  knockers  of  the  gate  of  my 
palace  hung  about  him,  and  Rhiannon  has  carried  the 
collars  of  my  asses  around  her  neck,'  said  the  bishop 
with  a  smile. 

From  the  '  Mabinogion.' 


THE  BELIEVING  HUSBANDS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Erin  a 
young  man  who  was  seeking  a  wife,  and  of  all  the 
maidens  round  about  none  pleased  him  as  well  as  the 
only  daughter  of  a  farmer.  The  girl  was  willing  and  the 
father  was  willing,  and  very  soon  they  were  married 
and  went  to  live  at  the  farm.  By  and  bye  the  season 
came  when  they  must  cut  the  peats  and  pile  them  up 
to  dry,  so  that  they  might  have  fires  in  the  whiter. 
So  on  a  fine  day  the  girl  and  her  husband,  and  the 
father  and  his  wife  all  went  out  upon  the  moor. 

They  worked  hard  for  many  hours,  and  at  length 
grew  hungry,  so  the  young  woman  was  sent  home  to 
bring  them  food,  and  also  to  give  the  horses  their 
dinner.  When  she  went  into  the  stables,  she  suddenly 
saw  the  heavy  pack-saddle  of  the  speckled  mare  just 
over  her  head,  and  she  jumped  and  said  to  herself  : 

'  Suppose  that  pack-saddle  wrere  to  fall  and  kill  me, 
how  dreadful  it  would  be ! '  and  she  sat  down  just  under 
the  pack-saddle  she  was  so  much  afraid  of,  and  began 
to  cry. 

Now  the  others  out  on  the  moor  grew  hungrier  and 
hungrier. 

'  What  can  have  become  of  her  ?  '  asked  they,  and 
at  length  the  mother  declared  that  she  would  wait  no 
longer,  and  must  go  and  see  what  had  happened. 

As  the  bride  was  nowhere  in  the  kitchen  or  the  dairy, 


THE  BELIEVING  HUSBANDS  333 

the  old  woman  went  into  the  stable,  where  she  found 
her  daughter  weeping  bitterly. 

'  What  is  the  matter,  my  dove  ? '  and  the  girl 
answered,  between  her  sobs  : 

'  When  I  came  in  and  saw  the  pack-saddle  over  my 
head,  I  thought  how  dreadful  it  would  be  if  it  fell  and 
killed  me,'  and  she  cried  louder  than  before. 

The  old  woman  struck  her  hands  together  :  '  Ah, 
to  think  of  it !  If  that  were  to  be,  what  should  I  do  ?  ' 
and  she  sat  down  by  her  daughter,  and  they  both  wrung 
their  hands  and  let  their  tears  flow. 

'  Something  strange  must  have  occurred,'  exclaimed 
the  old  farmer  on  the  moor,  who  by  this  time  was  not 
only  hungry,  but  cross.  '  I  must  go  after  them.'  And 
he  went  and  found  them  in  the  stable. 

'  What  is  the  matter  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  Oh  !  '  replied  his  wife,  '  when  our  daughter  came 
home,  did  she  not  see  the  pack-saddle  over  her  head, 
and  she  thought  how  dreadful  it  would  be  if  it  were  to 
fall  and  kill  her.' 

'  Ah,  to  think  of  it !  '  exclaimed  he,  striking  his 
hands  together,  and  he  sat  down  beside  them  and  wept 
too. 

As  soon  as  night  fell  the  young  man  returned  full 
of  hunger,  and  there  they  were,  all  crying  together  in 
the  stable. 

'  What  is  the  matter  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  When  thy  wife  came  home,'  answered  the  farmer, 
'  she  saw  the  pack-saddle  over  her  head,  and  she  thought 
how  dreadful  it  would  be  if  it  were  to  fall  and  kill  her.' 

'  Well,  but  it  didn't  fall,'  replied  the  young  man, 
and  he  went  off  to  the  kitchen  to  get  some  supper, 
leaving  them  to  cry  as  long  as  they  liked. 

The  next  morning  he  got  up  with  the  sun,  and  said 
to  the  old  man  and  to  the  old  woman  and  to  his  wife  : 

'  Farewell :  my  foot  shall  not  return  to  the  house  till 


334  THE  BELIEVING  HUSBANDS 

I  have  found  other  three  people  as  silly  as  you,'  and  he 
walked  away  till  he  came  to  the  town,  and  seeing  the 
door  of  a  cottage  standing  open  wide,  he  entered.  No 
man  was  present,  but  only  some  women  spuming  at 
their  wheels. 

'  You  do  not  belong  to  this  town,'  said  he. 

'  You  speak  truth,'  they  answered,  '  nor  you  either  ?  ' 

'  I  do  not,'  replied  he,  *  but  is  it  a  good  place  to  live 
in  ?' 

The  women  looked  at  each  other. 

'  The  men  of  the  town  are  so  silly  that  we  can  make 
them  believe  anything  we  please,'  said  they. 

'  Well,  here  is  a  gold  ring,'  replied  he,  '  and  I  will 
give  it  to  the  one  amongst  you  who  can  make  her 
husband  believe  the  most  impossible  thing,'  and  he 
left  them. 

As  soon  as  the  first  husband  came  home  his  wife 
said  to  him  : 

'  Thou  art  sick  ! ' 

'  Am  I  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  Yes,  thou  art,'  she  answered ;  '  take  off  thy  clothes 
.and  lie  down.' 

So  he  did,  and  when  he  was  in  his  bed  his  wife  went 
to  him  and  said  : 

'  Thou  art  dead.' 

'  Oh,  am  I  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  Thou  art,'  said  she ;  '  shut  thine  eyes  and  stir 
neither  hand  nor  foot.' 

And  dead  he  felt  sure  he  was. 

Soon  the  second  man  came  home,  and  his  wife  said 
to  him : 

'  You  are  not  my  husband  ! ' 

'  Oh,  am  I  not  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  No,  it  is  not  you,'  answered  she,  so  he  went  away 
and  slept  in  the  wood. 


THE  BELIEVING  HUSBANDS  335 

When  the  third  man  arrived  his  wife  gave  him  his 
supper,  and  after  that  he  went  to  bed,  just  as  usual. 
The  next  morning  a  boy  knocked  at  the  door,  bidding 
him  attend  the  burial  of  the  man  who  was  dead,  and  he 
was  just  going  to  get  up  when  his  wife  stopped  him. 

'  Time  enough,'  said  she,  and  he  lay  still  till  he  heard 
the  funeral  passing  the  window. 

'  Now  rise,  and  be  quick,'  called  the  wife,  and  the 
man  jumped  out  of  bed  in  a  great  hurry,  and  began  to 
look  about  him. 

'  Why,  where  are  my  clothes  ?  '  asked  he. 

'  Silly  that  you  are,  they  are  on  your  back,  of 
course,'  answered  the  woman. 

'  Are  they  ?  '  said  he. 

'  They  are,'  said  she,  *  and  make  haste  lest  the 
burying  be  ended  before  you  get  there.' 

Then  off  he  went,  running  hard,  and  when  the 
mourners  saw  a  man  coming  towards  them  with  nothing 
on  but  his  nightshirt,  they  forgot  in  their  fright  what 
they  were  there  for,  and  fled  to  hide  themselves.  And 
the  naked  man  stood  alone  at  the  head  of  the  coffin. 

Very  soon  a  man  came  out  of  the  wood  and  spoke 
to  him. 

'  Do  you  know  me  ?  ' 

'  Not  I,'  answered  the  naked  man.  '  I  do  not 
know  you.' 

*  But  why  are  you  naked  ?  '  asked  the  first  man. 

'  Am  I  naked  ?  My  wife  told  me  that  I  had  all  my 
clothes  on,'  answered  he. 

'  And  my  wife  told  me  that  I  myself  was  dead,'  said 
the  man  in  the  coffin. 

But  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  two  men  were  so 
terrified  that  they  ran  straight  home,  and  the  man 
in  the  coffin  got  up  and  followed  them,  and  it  was  his 
wife  that  gained  the  gold  ring,  as  he  had  been  sillier 
than  the  other  two. 

From    West  Highland  Tales.' 


THE  HOODIE-CROW. 


ONCE  there  lived  a  farmer  who  had  three  daughters, 
and  good  useful  girls  they  were,  up  with  the  sun,  and 
doing  all  the  work  of  the  house.  One  morning  they 
all  ran  down  to  the  river  to  wash  their  clothes,  when  a 
hoodie  came  round  and  sat  on  a  tree  close  by. 

'  Wilt  thou  wed  me,  thou  farmer's  daughter  ?  '  he 
said  to  the  eldest. 

'  Indeed  I  won't  wed  thee,'  she  answered,  '  an  ugly 
brute  is  the  hoodie.'  And  the  bird,  much  offended, 
spread  his  wings  and  flew  away.  But  the  following 
day  he  came  back  again,  and  said  to  the  second  girl : 

'  Wilt  thou  wed  me,  farmer's  daughter  ?  ' 

'  Indeed  I  will  not,'  answered  she,  '  an  ugly  brute  is 
the  hoodie.'  And  the  hoodie  was  more  angry  than  before, 
and  went  away  in  a  rage.  However,  after  a  night's  rest 
he  was  in  a  better  temper,  and  thought  that  he  might 
be  more  lucky  the  third  time,  so  back  he  went  to  the  old 
place. 

'  Wilt  thou  wed  me,  farmer's  daughter  ?  '  he  said  to 
the  youngest. 

'  Indeed  I  will  wed  thee  ;  a  pretty  creature  is  the 
hoodie,'  answered  she,  and  on  the  morrow  they  were 
married. 

'  I  have  something  to  ask  thee,'  said  the  hoodie 
when  they  were  far  away  in  his  own  house.  '  Wouldst 
thou  rather  I  should  be  a  hoodie  by  day  and  a  man  by 
night,  or  a  man  by  day  and  a  hoodie  by  night  ?  ' 


THE  HOODIE-CROW  337 

The  girl  was  surprised  at  his  words,  for  she  did 
not  know  that  he  could  be  anything  but  a  hoodie  at  all 
times. 

Still  she  said  nothing  of  this,  and  only  replied, 
'  I  would  rather  thou  wert  a  man  by  day  and  a  hoodie 
by  night.'  And  so  he  was  ;  and  a  handsomer  man  or  a 
more  beautiful  hoodie  never  was  seen.  The  girl  loved 
them  both,  and  never  wished  for  things  to  be  different. 

By  and  bye  they  had  a  son,  and  very  pleased  they 
both  were.  But  in  the  night  soft  music  was  heard 
stealing  close  towards  the  house,  and  every  man  slept, 
and  the  mother  slept  also.  When  they  woke  again  it  was 
morning,  and  the  baby  was  gone.  High  and  low  they 
looked  for  it,  but  nowhere  could  they  find  it,  and  the 
farmer,  who  had  come  to  see  his  daughter,  was  greatly 
grieved,  as  he  feared  it  might  be  thought  that  he  had 
stolen  it,  because  he  did  not  want  the  hoodie  for  a  son- 
in-law. 

The  next  year  the  hoodie's  wife  had  another  son, 
and  this  time  a  watch  was  set  at  every  door.  But  it  was 
no  use.  In  vain  they  all  determined  that,  come  what 
might,  they  would  not  close  their  eyes  ;  at  the  first 
note  of  music  they  all  fell  asleep,  and  when  the  farmer 
arrived  in  the  morning  to  see  his  grandson,  he  found  them 
all  weeping,  for  while  they  had  slept  the  baby  had 
vanished. 

Well,  the  next  year  it  all  happened  again,  and  the 
hoodie's  wife  was  so  unhappy  that  her  husband  resolved 
to  take  her  away  to  another  house  he  had,  and  her 
sisters  with  her  for  company.  So  they  set  out  in  a 
coach  which  was  big  enough  to  hold  them,  and  had  not 
gone  very  far  when  the  hoodie  suddenly  said : 

'  You  are  sure  you  have  not  forgotten  anything  ?  ' 

'  I  have  forgotten  my  coarse  comb,'  answered  the 
wife,  feeling  in  her  pocket,  and  as  she  spoke  the  coach 
changed  into  a  withered  faggot,  and  the  man  became 
a  hoodie  again,  and  flew  away. 

L-  z 


338  THE  HOODIE-CROW 

The  two  sisters  returned  home,  but  the  wife  followed 
the  hoodie.  Sometimes  she  would  see  him  on  a  hill-top, 
and  then  would  hasten  after  him,  hoping  to  catch  him. 
But  by  the  time  she  had  got  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  he 
would  be  in  the  valley  on  the  other  side.  When  night 
came,  and  she  was  tired,  she  looked  about  for  some  place 
to  rest,  and  glad  she  was  to  see  a  little  house  full  of  light 
straight  in  front  of  her,  and  she  hurried  towards  it  as 
fast  as  she  could. 

At  the  door  stood  a  little  boy,  and  the  sight  of  him 
filled  her  heart  with  pleasure,  she  did  not  know  why. 
A  woman  came  out,  and  bade  her  welcome,  and  set 
before  her  food,  and  gave  her  a  soft  bed  to  lie  on.  And 
the  hoodie's  wife  lay  down,  and  so  tired  was  she,  that  it 
seemed  to  her  but  a  moment  before  the  sun  rose,  and 
she  awoke  again.  From  hill  to  hill  she  went  after  the 
hoodie,  and  sometimes  she  saw  him  on  the  top  ;  but 
when  she  got  to  the  top,  he  had  flown  into  the  valley, 
and  when  she  reached  the  valley  he  was  on  the  top  of 
another  hill — and  so  it  happened  till  night  came  round 
again.  Then  she  looked  round  for  some  place  to  rest 
in,  and  she  beheld  a  little  house  of  light  before  her,  and 
fast  she  hurried  towards  it.  At  the  door  stood  a  little 
boy,  and  her  heart  was  filled  with  pleasure  at  the  sight 
of  him,  she  did  not  know  why.  After  that  a  woman 
bade  her  enter,  and  set  food  before  her,  and  gave  her  a 
soft  bed  to  lie  in.  And  when  the  sun  rose  she  got  up, 
and  left  the  house,  in  search  of  the  hoodie.  This  day 
everything  befell  as  on  the  two  other  days,  but  when 
she  reached  the  small  house,  the  woman  bade  her  keep 
awake,  and  if  the  hoodie  flew  into  the  room,  to  try  to 
seize  him. 

But  the  wife  had  walked  far,  and  was  very  tired,  and 
strive  as  she  would,  she  fell  sound  asleep. 

Many  hours  she  slept,  and  the  hoodie  entered  through 
a  window,  and  let  fall  a  ring  on  her  hand.  The  girl 
awoke  with  a  start,  and  leant  forward  to  grasp  him, 


THE  HOODIE-CROW  339 

but  he  was  already  flying  off,  and  she  only  seized  a 
feather  from  his  wing.  And  when  dawn  came,  she  got 
up  and  told  the  woman. 

'  He  has  gone  over  the  hill  of  poison,'  said  she,  '  and 
there  you  cannot  follow  him  without  horse-shoes  on 
your  hands  and  feet.  But  I  will  help  you.  Put  on  this 
suit  of  men's  clothes,  and  go  down  this  road  till  you 
come  to  the  smithy,  and  there  you  can  learn  to  make 
horse-shoes  for  yourself.' 

The  girl  thanked  her,  and  put  on  the  clothes  and 
went  down  the  road  to  do  her  bidding.  So  hard  did  she 
work,  that  in  a  few  days  she  was  able  to  make  the  horse- 
shoes. Early  one  morning  she  set  out  for  the  hill  of 
poison.  On  her  hands  and  feet  she  went,  but  even  with 
the  horse-shoes  on  she  had  to  be  very  careful  not  to 
stumble,  lest  some  poisoned  thorns  should  enter  into  her 
flesh,  and  she  should  die.  But  when  at  last  she  was  over, 
it  was  only  to  hear  that  her  husband  was  to  be  married 
that  day  to  the  daughter  of  a  great  lord. 

Now  there  was  to  be  a  race  in  the  town,  and  everyone 
meant  to  be  there,  except  the  stranger  who  had  come 
over  the  hill  of  poison — everyone,  that  is,  but  the 
cook,  who  was  to  make  the  bridal  supper.  Greatly  he 
loved  races,  and  sore  was  his  heart  to  think  that  one 
should  be  run  without  his  seeing  it,  so  when  he  beheld 
a  woman  whom  he  did  not  know  coming  along  the  street, 
hope  sprang  up  in  him. 

'  Will  you  cook  the  wedding  feast  in  place  of  me  ?  ' 
he  said,  '  and  I  will  pay  you  well  when  I  return  from 
the  race.' 

Gladly  she  agreed,  and  cooked  the  feast  in  a  kitchen 
that  looked  into  the  great  hall,  where  the  company  were 
to  eat  it.  After  that  she  watched  the  seat  where  the 
bridegroom  was  sitting,  and  taking  a  plateful  of  the 
broth,  she  dropped  the  ring  and  the  feather  into  it,  and 
set  it  herself  before  him. 

z2 


340  THE  HOODIE-CROW 

With  the  first  spoonful  he  took  up  the  ring,  and  a 
thrill  ran  through  him  ;  in  the  second  he  beheld  the 
feather  and  rose  from  his  chair. 

'  Who  has  cooked  this  feast  ?  '  asked  he,  and  the 
real  cook,  who  had  come  back  from  the  race,  was  brought 
before  him. 

'  He  may  be  the  cook,  but  he  did  not  cook  this 
feast,'  said  the  bridegroom,  and  then  inquiry  was  made, 
and  the  girl  was  summoned  to  the  great  hall. 

'  That  is  my  married  wife,'  he  declared  '  and  no  one 
else  will  I  have,'  and  at  that  very  moment  the  spells  fell 
off  him,  and  never  more  would  he  be  a  hoodie.  Happy 
indeed  were  they  to  be  together  again,  and  little  did  they 
mind  that  the  hill  of  poison  took  long  to  cross,  for  she 
had  to  go  some  way  forwards,  and  then  throw  the  horse- 
shoes back  for  him  to  put  on.  Still,  at  last  they  were 
over,  and  they  went  back  the  way  she  had  come,  and 
stopped  at  the  three  houses  in  order  to  take  their  little 
sons  to  their  own  home. 

But  the  story  never  says  who  had  stolen  them,  nor 
what  the  coarse  comb  had  to  do  with  it. 

From  '  West  Highland  Tales. 


THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE 


ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  in  France  a  man  whose 
name  was  Jalm  Riou.  You  might  have  walked  a  whole 
day  without  meeting  anyone  happier  or  more  contented, 
for  he  had  a  large  farm,  plenty  of  money,  and,  above  all, 
a  daughter  called  Barba'ik,  the  most  graceful  dancer  and 
the  best-dressed  girl  in  the  whole  country  side.  When 
she  appeared  on  holidays  in  her  embroidered  cap,  five 
petticoats,  each  one  a  little  shorter  than  the  other,  and 
shoes  with  silver  buckles,  the  women  were  all  filled  with 
envy,  but  little  cared  Barbaik  what  they  might  whisper 
behind  her  back  as  long  as  she  knew  that  her  clothes 
were  finer  than  anyone  else's  and  that  she  had  more 
partners  than  any  other  girl. 

Now  amongst  all  the  young  men  who  wanted  to  marry 
Barbaik,  the  one  whose  heart  was  most  set  on  her  was 
her  father's  head  man,  but  as  his  manners  were  rough 
and  he  was  exceedingly  ugly  she  would  have  nothing  to 
say  to  him,  and,  what  was  worse,  often  made  fun  of  him 
with  the  rest. 

Jegu,  for  that  was  his  name,  of  course  heard  of  this, 
and  it  made  him  very  unhappy.  Still,  he  would  not 
leave  the  farm,  and  look  for  work  elsewhere,  as  he  might 
have  done,  for  then  he  would  never  see  Barbaik  at  all, 
and  what  was  life  worth  to  him  without  that  ? 

One  evening  he  was  bringing  back  his  horses  from  the 
fields,  and  stopped  at  a  little  lake  on  the  way  home  to 
let  them  drink.  He  was  tired  with  a  long  day's  work, 


342          THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE 

and  stood  with  his  hand  on  the  mane  of  one  of  the 
animals,  waiting  till  they  had  done,  and  thinking  all  the 
while  of  Barbaiik,  when  a  voice  came  out  of  the  gorse 
close  by. 

'  What  is  the  matter,  Jegu  ?  You  mustn't  despair 
yet.' 

The  young  man  glanced  up  in  surprise,  and  asked 
who  was  there. 

'  It  is  I,  the  brownie  of  the  lake,'  replied  the  voice. 

*  But  where  are  you  ?  '  inquired  Jegu. 

*  Look  close,  and  you  will  see  me  among  the  reeds  in 
the  form  of  a  little  green  frog.     I  can  take,'  he  added 
proudly,  *  any  shape  I  choose,  and  even,  which  is  much 
harder,  be  invisible  if  I  want  to.' 

'  Then  show  yourself  to  me  in  the  shape  in  which 
your  family  generally  appear,'  replied  Jegu. 

'  Certainly,  if  you  wish,'  and  the  frog  jumped  on  the 
back  of  one  of  the  horses,  and  changed  into  a  little  dwarf, 
all  dressed  in  green. 

This  transformation  rather  frightened  Jegu,  but  the 
brownie  bade  him  have  no  fears,  for  he  would  not  do  him 
any  harm  ;  indeed,  he  hoped  that  Jegu  might  find  him 
of  some  use. 

*  But  why  should  you  take  all  this  interest  in  me  ?  * 
asked  the  peasant  suspiciously. 

'  Because  of  a  service  you  did  me  last  winter,  which 
I  have  never  forgotten,'  answered  the  little  fellow. 
'  You  know,  I  am  sure,  that  the  korigans  x  who  dwell 
in  the  White  Corn  country  have  declared  war  on  my 
people,  because  they  say  that  they  are  the  friends 
of  man.  We  were  therefore  obliged  to  take  refuge  in 
distant  lands,  and  to  hide  ourselves  at  first  under 
different  animal  shapes.  Since  that  time,  partly  from 
habit  and  partly  to  amuse  ourselves,  we  have  continued 
to  transform  ourselves,  and  it  was  in  this  way  that  I 
got  to  know  you.' 

1  The  spiteful  fairies. 


THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE          343 

'  How  ?  '  exclaimed  Jegu,  filled  with  astonishment. 

'  Do  you  remember  when  you  were  digging  in  the 
field  near  the  river,  three  months  ago,  you  found  a  robin 
redbreast  caught  in  a  net  ?  ' 

*  Yes,'  answered  Jegu,  '  I  remember  it  very  well,  and 
I  opened  the  net  and  let  him  go.' 

'  Well,  I  was  that  robin  redbreast,  and  ever  since  I 
have  vowed  to  be  your  friend,  and  as  you  want  to  marry 
Barbaiik,  I  will  prove  the  truth  of  what  I  say  by  helping 
you  to  do  so.' 

'  Ah  !  my  little  brownie,  if  you  can  do  that,  there  is 
nothing  I  won't  give  you,  except  my  soul.' 

'  Then  let  me  alone,'  rejoined  the  dwarf,  '  and  I 
promise  you  that  in  a  very  few  months  you  shall  be 
master  of  the  farm  and  of  Barbaiik.' 

'  But  how  are  you  going  to  do  it  ?  *  exclaimed 
Jegu  wonderingly. 

'  That  is  my  affair.  Perhaps  I  may  tell  you  later. 
Meanwhile  you  just  eat  and  sleep,  and  don't  worry 
yourself  about  anything.' 

Jegu  declared  that  nothing  could  be  easier,  and  then, 
taking  off  his  hat,  he  thanked  the  dwarf  heartily,  and 
led  his  horses  back  to  the  farm. 

Next  morning  was  a  holiday,  and  Barbaik  was  awake 
earlier  than  usual,  as  she  wished  to  get  through  her  work 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  be  ready  to  start  for  a  dance 
which  was  to  be  held  some  distance  off.  She  went 
first  to  the  cow-house,  which  it  was  her  duty  to  keep 
clean,  but  to  her  amazement  she  found  fresh  straw  put 
down,  the  racks  filled  with  hay,  the  cows  milked,  and 
the  pails  standing  neatly  in  a  row. 

'  Of  course,  Jegu  must  have  done  this  in  the  hope  of 
my  giving  him  a  dance,'  she  thought  to  herself,  and 
when  she  met  him  outside  the  door  she  stopped  and 
thanked  him  for  his  help.  To  be  sure,  Jegu  only 
replied  roughly  that  he  didn't  know  what  she  was 


344          THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE 

talking  about,  but  this  answer  made  her  feel  all  the  more 
certain  that  it  was  he  and  nobody  else. 

The  same  thing  took  place  every  day,  and  never 
had  the  cow-house  been  so  clean  nor  the  cows  so  fat. 
Morning  and  evening  Barbaik  found  her  earthen  pots 
full  of  milk  and  a  pound  of  butter  freshly  churned, 
ornamented  with  leaves.  At  the  end  of  a  few  weeks 
she  grew  so  used  to  this  state  of  affairs  that  she  only  got 
up  just  in  time  to  prepare  breakfast. 

Soon  even  this  grew  to  be  unnecessary,  for  a  day 
arrived  when,  coming  downstairs,  she  discovered  that 
the  house  was  swept,  the  furniture  polished,  the  fire  lit, 
and  the  food  ready,  so  that  she  had  nothing  to  do 
except  to  ring  the  great  bell  which  summoned  the 
labourers  from  the  fields  to  come  and  eat  it.  This,  also, 
she  thought  was  the  work  of  Jegu,  and  she  could  not 
help  feeling  that  a  husband  of  this  sort  would  be  very 
useful  to  a  girl  who  liked  to  lie  in  bed  and  to  amuse 
herself. 

Indeed,  Barbaik  had  only  to  express  a  wish  for  it  to 
be  satisfied.  If  the  wind  was  cold  or  the  sun  was  hot 
and  she  was  afraid  to  go  out  lest  her  complexion  should 
be  spoilt,  she  need  only  to  run  down  to  the  spring  close 
by  and  say  softly,  '  I  should  like  my  churns  to  be  full, 
and  my  wet  linen  to  be  stretched  on  the  hedge  to  dry,' 
and  she  need  never  give  another  thought  to  the  matter. 

If  she  found  the  rye  bread  too  hard  to  bake,  or  the 
oven  taking  too  long  to  heat,  she  just  murmured,  '  I 
should  like  to  see  my  six  loaves  on  the  shelf  above  the 
bread  box,'  and  two  hours  after  there  they  were. 

If  she  was  too  lazy  to  walk  all  the  way  to  market 
along  a  dirty  road,  she  would  say  out  loud  the  night 
before,  '  Why  am  I  not  already  back  from  Morlaix  with 
my  milk  pot  empty,  my  butter  bowl  inside  it,  a  pound  of 
wild  cherries  on  my  wooden  plate,  and  the  money  I  have 
gained  in  my  apron  pocket  ?  '  and  in  the  morning  when 
she  got  up,  lo  and  behold  !  there  were  standing  at  the 


THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE          345 

foot  of  her  bed  the  empty  milk  pot  with  the  butter  bowl 
inside,  the  black  cherries  on  the  wooden  plate,  and  six 
new  pieces  of  silver  in  the  pocket  of  her  apron.  And 
she  believed  that  all  this  was  owing  to  Jegu,  and  she 
could  no  longer  do  without  him,  even  in  her  thoughts. 

When  things  had  reached  this  pass,  the  brownie  told 
the  young  man  that  he  had  better  ask  Barba'ik  to  marry 
him,  and  this  time  the  girl  did  not  turn  rudely  away, 
but  listened  patiently  to  the  end.  In  her  eyes  he  was 
as  ugly  and  awkward  as  ever,  but  he  would  certainly 
make  a  most  useful  husband,  and  she  could  sleep  every 
morning  till  breakfast  time,  just  like  a  young  lady,  and 
as  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  it  would  not  be  half  long 
enough  for  all  she  meant  to  do.  She  would  wear  the 
beautiful  dresses  that  came  when  she  wished  for  them, 
and  visit  her  neighbours,  who  would  be  dying  of  envy 
all  the  while,  and  she  would  be  able  to  dance  as  much 
as  she  wished.  Jegu  would  always  be  there  to  work  for 
her  and  save  for  her,  and  watch  over  her.  So,  like  a 
well-brought-up  girl,  Barbaik  answered  that  it  should 
be  as  her  father  pleased,  knowing  quite  well  that  old 
Riou  had  often  said  that  after  he  was  dead  there  was 
no  one  so  capable  of  carrying  on  the  farm. 

The  marriage  took  place  the  following  month,  and 
a  few  days  later  the  old  man  died  quite  suddenly.  Now 
Jegu  had  everything  to  see  to  himself,  and  somehow  it 
did  not  seem  so  easy  as  when  the  farmer  was  alive.  But 
once  more  the  brownie  stepped  in,  and  was  better  than 
ten  labourers.  It  was  he  who  ploughed  and  sowed  and 
reaped,  and  if,  as  happened  occasionally,  it  was  needful 
to  get  the  work  done  quickly,  the  brownie  called  in  some 
of  his  friends,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  light  a  host  of  little 
dwarfs  might  have  been  seen  in  the  fields,  busy  with 
hoe,  fork  or  sickle.  But  by  the  time  the  people  were 
about  all  was  finished,  and  the  little  fellows  had  dis- 
appeared. 


346          THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE 

And  all  the  payment  the  brownie  ever  asked  for  was 
a  bowl  of  broth. 

From  the  very  day  of  her  marriage  Barbaik  had 
noted  with  surprise  and  rage  that  things  ceased  to  be 
done  for  her  as  they  had  been  done  all  the  weeks 
and  months  before.  She  complained  to  Jegu  of  his 
laziness,  and  he  only  stared  at  her,  not  understanding 
what  she  was  talking  about.  But  the  brownie,  who 
was  standing  by,  burst  out  laughing,  and  confessed  that 
all  the  good  offices  she  spoke  of  had  been  performed  by 
him,  for  the  sake  of  Jegu,  but  that  now  he  had  other 
business  to  do,  and  it  was  high  time  that  she  looked 
after  her  house  herself. 

Barbaik  was  furious.  Each  morning  when  she  was 
obliged  to  get  up  before  dawn  to  milk  the  cows  and  go 
to  market,  and  each  evening  when  she  had  to  sit  up  till 
midnight  in  order  to  churn  the  butter,  her  heart  was 
filled  with  rage  against  the  brownie  who  had  caused  her 
to  expect  a  life  of  ease  and  pleasure.  But  when  she 
looked  at  Jegu  and  beheld  his  red  face,  squinting  eyes, 
and  untidy  hair,  her  anger  was  doubled. 

'  If  it  had  not  been  for  you,  you  miserable  dwarf  ! ' 
she  would  say  between  her  teeth,  '  if  it  had  not  been  for 
you  I  should  never  have  married  that  man,  and  I  should 
still  have  been  going  to  dances,  where  the  young  men 
would  have  brought  me  presents  of  nuts  and  cherries, 
and  told  me  that  I  was  the  prettiest  girl  in  the  parish. 
While  now  I  can  receive  no  presents  except  from  my 
husband.  I  can  never  dance,  except  with  my  husband. 
Oh,  you  wretched  dwarf,  I  will  never,  never  forgive 
you  !  ' 

In  spite  of  her  fierce  words,  no  one  knew  better  than 
Barbaik  how  to  put  her  pride  in  her  pocket  when  it 
suited  her,  and  after  receiving  an  invitation  to  a  wedding, 
she  begged  the  brownie  to  get  her  a  horse  to  ride  there. 


THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE         347 

To  her  great  joy  he  consented,  bidding  her  set  out  for 
the  city  of  the  dwarfs  and  to  tell  them  exactly  what  she 
wanted.  Full  of  excitement,  Barbaik  started  on  her 
journey.  It  was  not  long,  and  when  she  reached  the 
town  she  went  straight  to  the  dwarfs,  who  were  holding 
counsel  in  a  wide  green  place,  and  said  to  them,  '  Listen, 
my  friends  !  I  have  come  to  beg  you  to  lend  me  a  black 
horse,  with  eyes,  a  mouth,  ears,  bridle  and  saddle.' 

She  had  hardly  spoken  when  the  horse  appeared,  and 
mounting  on  his  back  she  started  for  the  village  where 
the  wedding  was  to  be  held. 

At  first  she  \vas  so  delighted  with  the  chance  of  a 
holiday  from  the  work  which  she  hated,  that  she  noticed 
nothing,  but  very  soon  it  struck  her  as  odd  that  as  she 
passed  along  the  roads  full  of  people  they  all  laughed  as 
they  looked  at  her  horse.  At  length  she  caught  some 
words  uttered  by  one  man  to  another.  '  Why,  the 
farmer's  wife  has  sold  her  horse's  tail ! '  and  turned  in 
her  saddle.  Yes  ;  it  was  true.  Her  horse  had  no  tail ! 
She  had  forgotten  to  ask  for  one,  and  the  wicked  dwarfs 
had  carried  out  her  orders  to  the  letter  ! 

'  Well,  at  any  rate,  I  shall  soon  be  there,'  she  thought, 
and  shaking  the  reins,  tried  to  urge  the  horse  to  a  gallop. 
But  it  was  of  no  use  ;  he  declined  to  move  out  of  a  walk  ; 
and  she  was  forced  to  hear  all  the  jokes  that  were  made 
upon  her. 

In  the  evening  she  returned  to  the  farm  more  angry 
than  ever,  and  quite  determined  to  revenge  herself  on 
the  brownie  whenever  she  had  the  chance,  which 
happened  to  be  very  soon. 

It  wras  the  spring,  and  just  the  time  of  year  when  the 
dwarfs  held  their  fete,  so  one  day  the  brownie  asked 
Jegu  if  he  might  bring  his  friends  to  have  supper  in  the 
great  barn,  and  whether  he  would  allow  them  to  dance 
there.  Of  course,  Jegu  was  only  too  pleased  to  be  able 
to  do  anything  for  the  brownie,  and  he  ordered  Barbaik 


348          THE  BROWNIE  OF  THE  LAKE 

to  spread  her  best  table-cloths  in  the  barn,  and  to  make 
a  quantity  of  little  loaves  and  pancakes,  and,  besides, 
to  keep  all  the  milk  given  by  the  cows  that  morning. 
He  expected  she  would  refuse,  as  he  knew  she  hated  the 
dwarfs,  but  she  said  nothing,  and  prepared  the  supper 
as  he  had  bidden  her. 

When  all  was  ready,  the  dwarfs,  in  new  green  suits, 
came  bustling  in,  very  happy  and  merry,  and  took  their 
seats  at  the  table.  But  in  a  moment  they  all  sprang 
up  with  a  cry,  and  ran  away  screaming,  for  Barba'ik  had 
placed  pans  of  hot  coals  under  their  feet,  and  all  their 
poor  little  toes  were  burnt. 

'  You  won't  forget  that  in  a  hurry,'  she  said,  smiling 
grimly  to  herself,  but  in  a  moment  they  were  back  again 
with  large  pots  of  water,  which  they  poured  on  the  fire. 
Then  they  joined  hands  and  danced  round  it,  singing  : 

Wicked  traitress,  Barbe  Riou, 
Our  poor  toes  are  burned  by  you ; 
Now  we  hurry  from  your  hall — 
Bad  luck  light  upon  you  all. 

That  evening  they  left  the  country  for  ever,  and 
Jegu,  without  their  help,  grew  poorer  and  poorer,  and 
at  last  died  of  misery,  while  Barba'ik  was  glad  to  find 
work  in  the  market  of  Morlaix. 

From  '  Le  Foyer  Breton,'  par  E.  Souvestre. 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

THERE  was  once  a  king  and  queen  who  had  a  little  boy, 
and  they  called  his  name  Kilwch.  The  queen,  his 
mother,  fell  ill  soon  after  his  birth,  and  as  she  could 
not  take  care  of  him  herself  she  sent  him  to  a  woman 
she  knew  up  in  the  mountains,  so  that  he  might  learn 
to  go  out  in  all  weathers,  and  bear  heat  and  cold,  and 
grow  tall  and  strong.  Kilwch  was  quite  happy  with 
his  nurse,  and  ran  races  and  climbed  hills  with  the 
children  who  were  his  playfellows,  and  in  the  winter, 
when  the  snow  lay  on  the  ground,  sometimes  a  man  with 
a  harp  would  stop  and  beg  for  shelter,  and  in  return 
would  sing  them  songs  of  strange  things  that  had 
happened  in  the  years  gone  by. 

But  long  before  this  changes  had  taken  place  in  the 
court  of  Kilwch's  father.  Soon  after  she  had  sent  her 
baby  away  the  queen  became  much  worse,  and  at  length, 
seeing  that  she  was  going  to  die,  she  called  her  husband 
to  her  and  said  : 

'  Never  again  shall  I  rise  from  this  bed,  and  by  and 
bye  thou  wilt  take  another  wife.  But  lest  she  should 
make  thee  forget  thy  son,  I  charge  thee  that  thou  take 
not  a  wife  until  thou  see  a  briar  with  two  blossoms  upon 
my  grave.'  And  this  he  promised  her.  Then  she 
further  bade  him  to  see  to  her  grave  that  nothing  might 
grow  thereon.  This  likewise  he  promised  her,  and  soon 
she  died,  and  for  seven  years  the  king  sent  a  man  every 
morning  to  see  that  nothing  was  growing  on  the  queen's 
grave,  but  at  the  end  of  seven  years  he  forgot. 


350  THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

One  day  when  the  king  was  out  hunting  he  rode 
past  the  place  where  the  queen  lay  buried,  and  there  he 
saw  a  briar  growing  with  two  blossoms  on  it. 

'  It  is  time  that  I  took  a  wife,'  said  he,  and  after 
long  looking  he  found  one.  But  he  did  not  tell  her 
about  his  son  ;  indeed  he  hardly  remembered  that  he 
had  one  till  she  heard  it  at  last  from  an  old  woman  whom 
she  had  gone  to  visit.  And  the  new  queen  was  very 
pleased,  and  sent  messengers.to  fetch  the  boy,  and  in  his 
father's  court  he  stayed,  while  the  years  went  by  till 
one  day  the  queen  told  him  that  a  prophecy  had  fore- 
told that  he  was  to  win  for  his  wife  Olwen  the  daughter 
of  Yspaddaden  Penkawr. 

When  he  heard  this  Kilwch  felt  proud  and  happy. 
Surely  he  must  be  a  man  now,  he  thought,  or  there 
would  be  no  talk  of  a  wife  for  him,  and  his  mind  dwelt 
all  day  upon  his  promised  bride,  and  what  she  would  be 
like  when  he  beheld  her. 

'  What  aileth  thee,  my  son  ?  '  asked  his  father  at  last, 
when  Kilwch  had  forgotten  something  he  had  been 
bidden  to  do,  and  Kilwch  blushed  red  as  he  answered  : 

'  My  stepmother  says  that  none  but  Olwen,  the 
daughter  of  Yspaddaden  Penkawr,  shall  be  my  wife.' 

'  That  will  be  easily  fulfilled,'  replied  his  father. 
*  Arthur  the  king  is  thy  cousin.  Go  therefore  unto 
him  and  beg  him  to  cut  thy  hair,  and  to  grant  thee  this 
boon.' 

Then  the  youth  pricked  forth  upon  a  dapple  grey  horse 
of  four  years  old,  with. a  bridle  of  linked  gold,  and  gold 
upon  his  saddle.  In  his  hand  he  bore  two  spears  of 
silver  with  heads  of  steel ;  a  war-horn  of  ivory  was  slung 
round  his  shoulder,  and  by  his  side  hung  a  golden 
sword.  Before  him  were  two 'brindled  white-breasted 
greyhounds  with  collars  of  rubies  round  their  necks, 
and  the  one  that  was  on  the  left  side  bounded  across 
to  the  right  side,  and  the  one  on  the  right  to  the  left, 
and  like  two  sea-swallows  sported  round  him.  And  his 


THE    WINNING   OF  OLWEN  353 

horse  cast  up  four  sods  with  his  four  hoofs,  like  four 
swallows  in  the  air  about  his  head,  now  above,  now 
below.  About  him  was  a  robe  of  purple,  and  an  apple 
of  gold  was  at  each  corner,  and  every  one  of  the  apples 
was  of  the  value  of  a  hundred  cows.  And  the  blades 
of  grass  bent  not  beneath  him,  so  light  were  his  horse's 
feet  as  he  journeyed  toward  the  gate  of  Arthur's  palace. 

'  Is  there  a  porter  ?  '  cried  Kilwch,  looking  round  for 
someone  to  open  the  gate. 

'  There  is  ;  and  I  am  Arthur's  porter  every  first  day 
of  January,'  answered  a  man  coming  out  to  him.  '  The 
rest  of  the  year  there  are  other  porters,  and  among 
them  Pennpingyon,  who  goes  upon  his  head  to  save  his 
feet.' 

'  Well,  open  the  portal,  I  say.' 

'  No,  that  I  may  not  do,  for  none  can  enter  save  the 
son  of  a  king  or  a  pedlar  who  has  goods  to  sell.  But 
elsewhere  there  will  be  food  for  thy  dogs  and  hay  for  thy 
horse,  and  for  thee  collops  cooked  and  peppered,  and 
sweet  wine  shall  be  served  in  the  guest  chamber.' 

'  That  will  not  do  for  me,'  answered  Kilwch.  '  If 
thou  wilt  not  open  the  gate  I  will  send  up  three  shouts 
that  shall  be  heard  from  Cornwall  unto  the  north,  and 
yet  again  to  Ireland.' 

'  Whatsoever  clamour  thou  mayest  make,'  spake 
Glewlwyd  the  porter,  '  thou  shalt  not  enter  until  I  first 
go  and  speak  with  Arthur.' 

Then  Glewhvyd  went  into  the  hall,  and  Arthur  said 
to  him  : 

'  Hast  thou  news  from  the  gate  ?  '  and  the  porter 
answered  : 

'  Far  have  I  travelled,  both  in  this  island  and  else- 
where, and  many  kingly  men  have  I  seen  ;  but  never  yet 
have  I  beheld  one  equal  in  majesty  to  him  who  now 
stands  at  the  door.' 

'  If    walking    thou    didst    enter    here,    return    thou 
L.  A  A 


354  THE    WINNING  OF   OLWEN 

running,'  replied  Arthur,  '  and  let  everyone  that  opens 
and  shuts  the  eye  show  him  respect  and  serve  him,  for 
it  is  not  meet  to  keep  such  a  man  in  the  wind  and  rain.' 
So  Glewlwyd  unbarred  the  gate  and  Kilwch  rode  in 
upon  his  charger. 

'  Greeting  unto  thee,  O  ruler  of  this  land,'  cried  he, 
'  and  greeting  no  less  to  the  lowest  than  to  the  highest.' 

'  Greeting  to  thee  also,'  answered  Arthur.  '  Sit  thou 
between  two  of  my  warriors,  and  thou  shalt  have 
minstrels  before  thee  and  all  that  belongs  to  one  born  to 
be  a  king,  while  thou  remainest  in  my  palace.' 

'  I  am  not  come,'  replied  Kilwch,  '  for  meat  and 
drink,  but  to  obtain  a  boon,  and  if  thou  grant  it  me 
I  will  pay  it  back,  and  will  carry  thy  praise  to  the  four 
winds  of  heaven.  But  if  thou  wilt  not  grant  it  to  me, 
then  I  will  proclaim  thy  discourtesy  wherever  thy  name 
is  known.' 

*  What  thou  askest  that  shalt  thou  receive,'   said 
Arthur,  '  as  far  as  the  wind  dries  and  the  rain  moistens, 
and  the  sun  revolves  and  the  sea  encircles  and  the  earth 
extends.     Save  only  my  ship  and  my  mantle,  my  sword 
and  my  lance,  my  shield  and  my  dagger,  and  Guinevere 
my  wife.' 

*  I  would  that  thou  bless  my  hair,'  spake  Kilwch, 
and  Arthur  answered  : 

'  That  shall  be  granted  thee.' 

Forthwith  he  bade  his  men  fetch  him  a  comb  of  gold 
and  a  scissors  with  loops  of  silver,  and  he  combed  the 
hair  of  Kilwch  his  guest. 

'  Tell  me  who  thou  art,'  he  said,  '  for  my  heart 
warms  to  thee,  and  I  feel  thou  art  come  of  my  blood.' 

'  I  am  Kilwch,  son  of  Kilydd,'  replied  the  youth. 

'  Then  my  cousin  thou  art  in  truth,'  replied  Arthur, 
'  and  whatsoever  boon  thou  mayest  ask  thou  shalt 
receive.' 

'  The  boon  I  crave  is  that  thou  mayest  win  for  me 
Olwen,  the  daughter  of  Yspaddaden  Penkawr,  and  this 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN  355 

boon  I  seek  likewise  at  the  hands  of  thy  warriors.  From 
Sol,  who  can  stand  all  day  upon  one  foot ;  from  Ossol, 
who,  if  he  were  to  find  himself  on  the  top  of  the  highest 
mountain  in  the  world,  could  make  it  into  a  level  plain 
in  the  beat  of  a  bird's  wing ;  from  Clust,  who,  though  he 
were  buried  under  the  earth,  could  yet  hear  the  ant  leave 
her  nest  fifty  miles  away  :  from  these  and  from  Kai 
and  from  Bedwyr  and  from  all  thy  mighty  men  I  crave 
this  boon.' 

'  0  Kilwch,'  said  Arthur,  '  never  have  I  heard  of  the 
maiden  of  whom  thou  speakest,  nor  of  her  kindred,  but 
I  will  send  messengers  to  seek  her  if  thou  wilt  give  me 
time.' 

'  From  this  night  to  the  end  of  the  year  right 
willingly  will  I  grant  thee,'  replied  Kilwch ;  but  when 
the  end  of  the  year  came  and  the  messengers  returned 
Kilwch  was  wroth,  and  spoke  rough  words  to  Arthur. 

It  was  Kai,  the  boldest  of  the  warriors  and  the  swiftest 
of  foot — he  who  could  pass  nine  nights  without  sleep, 
and  nine  days  beneath  the  water — that  answered  him  : 

'  Rash  youth  that  thou  art,  darest  thou  speak  thus 
to  Arthur  ?  Come  with  us,  and  we  will  not  part  com- 
pany till  we  have  won  that  maiden,  or  till  thou  confess 
that  there  is  none  such  in  the  world.' 

Then  Arthur  summoned  his  five  best  men  and  bade 
them  go  with  Kilwch.  There  was  Bedwyr  the  one- 
handed,  Kai's  comrade  and  brother  in  arms,  the  swiftest 
man  in  Britain  save  Arthur  ;  there  was  Kynddelig,  who 
knew  the  paths  in  a  land  where  he  had  never  been  as 
surely  as  he  did  those  of  his  own  country  ;  there  was 
Gwrhyr,  that  could  speak  all  tongues ;  and  Gwalchmai 
the  son  of  Gwyar,  who  never  returned  till  he  had  gained 
what  he  sought ;  and  last  of  all  there  was  Menw,  who  could 
weave  a  spell  over  them  so  that  none  might  see  them, 
while  they  could  see  everyone. 

So  these  seven  journeyed  together  till  they  reached 

AA2 


356  THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

a  vast  open  plain  in  which  was  a  fair  castle.  But  though 
it  seemed  so  close  it  was  not  until  the  evening  of  the  third 
day  that  they  really  drew  near  to  it,  and  in  front  of  it  a 
flock  of  sheep  was  spread,  so  many  in  number  that  there 
seemed  no  end  to  them.  A  shepherd  stood  on  a  mound 
watching  over  them,  and  by  his  side  was  a  dog,  as  large 
as  a  horse  nine  winters  old. 

'  Whose  is  this  castle,  O  herdsman  ?  '  asked  the 
knights. 

'  Stupid  are  ye  truly,'  answered  the  herdsman. 
'  All  the  world  knows  that  this  is  the  castle  of  Yspaddaden 
Penkawr.' 

'  And  who  art  thou  ?  ' 

'  I  am  called  Custennin,  brother  of  Yspaddaden,  and 
ill  has  he  treated  me.  And  who  are  you,  and  what  do 
you  here  ? ' 

*  We  come  from  Arthur  the  king,  to  seek  Olwen  the 
daughter  of  Yspaddaden,'  but  at  this  news  the  shepherd 
gave  a  cry  : 

'  O  men,  be  warned  and  turn  back  while  there  is  yet 
time.  Others  have  gone  on  that  quest,  but  none  have 
escaped  to  tell  the  tale,'  and  he  rose  to  his  feet  as  if  to 
leave  them.  Then  Kilwch  held  out  to  him  a  ring  of  gold, 
and  he  tried  to  put  it  on  his  finger,  but  it  was  too  small, 
so  he  placed  it  in  his  glove,  and  went  home  and  gave  it 
to  his  wife. 

'  Whence  came  this  ring  ?  '  asked  she,  '  for  such 
good  luck  is  not  wont  to  befall  thee.' 

'  The  man  to  whom  this  ring  belonged  thou  shalt 
see  here  in  the  evening,'  answered  the  shepherd  ;  '  he  is 
Kilwch,  son  of  Kilydd,  cousin  to  king  Arthur,  and  he 
has  come  to  seek  Olwen.'  And  when  the  wife  heard 
that  she  knew  that  Kilwch  was  her  nephew,  and  her 
heart  yearned  after  him,  half  with  joy  at  the  thought 
of  seeing  him,  and  half  with  sorrow  for  the  doom  she 
feared. 

Soon  they  heard  steps  approaching,  and  Kai  and  the 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN  359 

rest  entered  into  the  house  and  ate  and  drank.  After 
that  the  woman  opened  a  chest,  and  out  of  it  came  a 
youth  with  curling  yellow  hair. 

'  It  is  a  pity  to  hide  him  thus,'  said  Gwrhyr,  '  for 
well  I  know  that  he  has  done  no  evil.' 

'  Three  and  twenty  of  my  sons  has  Yspaddaden 
slain,  and  I  have  no  more  hope  of  saving  this 
one,'  replied  she,  and  Kai  was  full  of  sorrow  and 
answered  : 

'  Let  him  come  with  me  and  be  my  comrade,  and  he 
shall  never  be  slain  unless  I  am  slain  also.'  And  so  it 
was  agreed. 

'  What  is  your  errand  here  ?  '  asked  the  woman. 

'  We  seek  Olwen  the  maiden  for  this  youth,'  answered 
Kai ;  '  does  she  ever  come  hither  so  that  she  may  be 
seen  ?  ' 

'  She  comes  every  Saturday  to  wash  her  hair,  and  in 
the  vessel  where  she  washes  she  leaves  all  her  rings, 
and  never  does  she  so  much  as  send  a  messenger  to  fetch 
them.' 

'  Will  she  come  if  she  is  bidden  ?  '  asked  Kai, 
pondering. 

'  She  will  come  ;  but  unless  you  pledge  me  your  faith 
that  you  will  not  harm  her  I  will  not  fetch  her.' 

'  We  pledge  it,'  said  they,  and  the  maiden  came. 

A  fair  sight  was  she  in  a  robe  of  flame -coloured  silk, 
with  a  collar  of  ruddy  gold  about  her  neck,  bright  with 
emeralds  and  rubies.  More  yellow  was  her  head  than 
the  flower  of  the  broom,  and  her  skin  was  whiter  than 
the  foam  of  the  wave,  and  fairer  were  her  hands  than 
the  blossom  of  the  wood  anemone.  Four  white  trefoils 
sprang  up  where  she  trod,  and  therefore  was  she  called 
Olwen. 

She  entered,  and  sat  down  on  a  bench  beside  Kilwch, 
and  he  spake  to  her  : 

'  Ah,  maiden,  since  first  I  heard  thy  name  I  have 


360  THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

loved  thee — wilt  thou  not  come  away  with  me  from  this 
evil  place  ?  ' 

'  That  I  cannot  do,'  answered  she,  '  for  I  have  given 
my  word  to  my  father  not  to  go  without  his  knowledge, 
for  his  life  will  only  last  till  I  am  betrothed.  Whatever 
is,  must  be,  but  this  counsel  I  will  give  you.  Go,  and 
ask  me  of  my  father,  and  whatsoever  he  shall  require  of 
thee  grant  it,  and  thou  shalt  win  me  ;  but  if  thou  deny 
him  anything  thou  wilt  not  obtain  me,  and  it  will  be 
well  for  thee  if  thou  escape  with  thy  life.' 

'  All  this  I  promise,'  said  he. 

So  she  returned  to  the  castle,  and  all  Arthur's  men 
went  after  her,  and  entered  the  hall. 

'  Greeting  to  thee,  Yspaddaden  Penkawr,'  said  they. 
'  We  come  to  ask  thy  daughter  Olwen  for  Kilwch,  son 
of  Kilydd.' 

'  Come  hither  to-morrow  and  I  will  answer  you,' 
replied  Yspaddaden  Penkawr,  and  as  they  rose  to 
leave  the  hall  he  caught  up  one  of  the  three  poisoned 
darts  that  lay  beside  him  and  flung  it  in  their  midst. 
But  Bedwyr  saw  and  caught  it,  and  flung  it  back  so 
hard  that  it  pierced  the  knee  of  Yspaddaden. 

'  A  gentle  son-in-law,  truly ! '  he  cried,  writhing  with 
pain.  '  I  shall  ever  walk  the  worse  for  this  rudeness. 
Cursed  be  the  smith  who  forged  it,  and  the  anvil  on  which 
it  was  wrought ! ' 

That  night  the  men  slept  in  the  house  of  Custennin 
the  herdsman,  and  the  next  day  they  proceeded  to  the 
castle,  and  entered  the  hall,  and  said  : 

'  Yspaddaden  Penkawr,  give  us  thy  daughter  and 
thou  shalt  keep  her  dower.  And  unless  thou  wilt  do 
this  we  will  slay  thee.' 

'  Her  four  great  grandmothers  and  her  four  great 
grandfathers  yet  live,'  answered  Yspaddaden  Penkawr  ; 
'  it  is  needful  tha't  I  take  counsel  with  them.' 

'  Be  it  so  ;  we  will  go  to  meat,'  but  as  they  turned 
he  took  up  the  second  dart  that  lay  by  his  side  and  cast 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN  361 

it  after  them.  And  Menw  caught  it,  and  flung  it  at  him, 
and  wounded  him  in  the  chest,  so  that  it  came  out  at 
his  back. 

'  A  gentle  son-in-law,  truly  !  '  cried  Yspaddaden  ; 
'  the  iron  pains  me  like  the  bite  of  a  horse-leech.  Cursed 
be  the  hearth  whereon  it  was  heated,  and  the  smith 
who  formed  it ! ' 

The  third  day  Arthur's  men  returned  to  the  palace 
into  the  presence  of  Yspaddaden. 

'  Shoot  not  at  me  again,'  said  he,  '  unless  you  desire 
death.  But  lift  up  my  eyebrows,  which  have  fallen 
over  my  eyes,  that  I  may  see  my  son-in-law.'  Then 
they  arose,  and  as  they  did  so  Yspaddaden  Penkawr 
took  the  third  poisoned  dart  and  cast  it  at  them.  And 
Kilwch  caught  it,  and  flung  it  back,  and  it  passed 
through  his  eyeball,  and  came  out  on  the  other  side  of 
his  head. 

'  A  gentle  son-in-law,  truly  !  Cursed  be  the  fire  in 
which  it  was  forged  and  the  man  who  fashioned  it ! ' 

The  next  day  Arthur's  men  came  again  to  the  palace 
and  said  : 

'  Shoot  not  at  us  any  more  unless  thou  desirest  more 
pain  than  even  now  thou  hast,  but  give  us  thy  daughter 
without  more  words.' 

'  Where  is  he  that  seeks  my  daughter  ?  Let  him 
come  hither  so  that  I  may  see  him.'  And  Kilwch  sat 
himself  in  a  chair  and  spoke  face  to  face  with  him. 

'  Is  it  thou  that  seekest  my  daughter  ?  ' 

'  It  is  I,'  answered  Kilwch. 

'  First  give  me  thy  word  that  thou  wilt  do  nothing 
towards  me  that  is  not  just,  and  when  thou  hast  won 
for  me  that  which  I  shall  ask,  then  thou  shalt  wed  my 
daughter.' 

'  I  promise  right  willingly,'  said  Kilwch.  '  Name 
what  thou  wilt.' 

'  Seest  thou  yonder  hill  ?     Well,  in  one  day  it  shall 


362  THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

be  rooted  up  and  ploughed  and  sown,  and  the  grain  shall 
ripen,  and  of  that  wheat  I  will  bake  the  cakes  for  my 
daughter's  wedding.' 

'  It  will  be  easy  for  me  to  compass  this,  although 
thou  mayest  deem  it  will  not  be  easy,'  answered  Kilwch, 
thinking  of  Ossol,  under  whose  feet  the  highest  mountain 
became  straightway  a  plain,  but  Yspaddaden  paid  no 
heed,  and  continued  : 

'  Seest  thou  that  field  yonder  ?  When  my  daughter 
was  born  nine  bushels  of  flax  were  sown  therein,  and  not 
one  blade  has  sprung  up.  I  require  thee  to  sow  fresh 
flax  in  the  ground  that  my  daughter  may  wear  a  veil 
spun  from  it  on  the  day  of  her  wedding.' 

'  It  will  be  easy  for  me  to  compass  this.' 

'  Though  thou  compass  this  there  is  that  which  thou 
wilt  not  compass.  For  thou  must  bring  me  the  basket 
of  Gwyddneu  Garanhir  which  will  give  meat  to  the 
whole  world.  It  is  for  thy  wedding  feast.  Thou  must 
also  fetch  me  the  drinking-horn  that  is  never  empty, 
and  the  harp  that  never  ceases  to  play  until  it  is  bidden. 
Also  the  comb  and  scissors  and  razor  that  lie  between 
the  two  ears  of  Trwyth  the  boar,  so  that  I  may  arrange 
my  hair  for  the  wedding.  And  though  thou  get  this 
yet  there  is  that  which  thou  wilt  not  get,  for  Trwyth  the 
boar  will  not  let  any  man  take  from  him  the  comb  and 
the  scissors,  unless  Drudwyn  the  whelp  hunt  him.  But 
no  leash  in  the  world  can  hold  Drudwyn  save  the  leash 
of  Cant  Ewin,  and  no  collar  will  hold  the  leash  except 
the  collar  of  Canhastyr.' 

'  It  will  be  easy  for  me  to  compass  this,  though 
thou  mayest  think  it  will  not  be  easy,'  Kilwch  answered 
him. 

'  Though  thou  get  all  these  things  yet  there  is  that 
which  thou  wilt  not  get.  Throughout  the  world  there 
is  none  that  can  hunt  with  this  dog  save  Mabon  the 
son  of  Modron.  He  was  taken  from  his  mother  when 
three  nights  old,  and  it  is  not  known  where  he  now  is, 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN  363 

nor  whether  he  is  living  or  dead,  and  though  thou  find 
him  yet  the  boar  will  never  be  slain  save  only  with  the 
sword  of  Gwrnach  the  giant,  and  if  thou  obtain  it  not 
neither  shalt  thou  obtain  my  daughter.' 

'  Horses  shall  I  have,  and  knights  from  my  lord 
Arthur.  And  I  shall  gain  thy  daughter,  and  thou  shalt 
lose  thy  life.' 

The  speech  of  Kilwch  the  son  of  Kilydd  with 
Yspaddaden  Penkawr  was  ended. 

Then  Arthur's  men  set  forth,  and  Kilwch  with 
them,  and  journeyed  till  they  reached  the  largest 
castle  in  the  world,  and  a  black  man  came  out  lo  meet 
them. 

'  Whence  comest  thou,  O  man  ?  '  asked  they,  '  and 
whose  is  that  castle  ?  ' 

'  That  is  the  castle  of  Gwrnach  the  giant,  as  all  the 
world  knows,'  answered  the  man,  '  but  no  guest  ever 
returned  thence  alive,  and  none  may  enter  the  gate 
except  a  craftsman,  who  brings  his  trade.'  But  little 
did  Arthur's  men  heed  his  warning,  and  they  went 
straight  to  the  gate. 

'  Open  !  '  cried  Gwrhyr. 

'  I  will  not  open,'  replied  the  porter. 

'  And  wherefore  ?  '  asked  Kai. 

'  The  knife  is  in  the  meat,  and  the  drink  is  in  the 
horn,  and  there  is  revelry  in  the  hall  of  Gwrnach  the 
giant,  and  save  for  a  craftsman  who  brings  his  trade 
the  gate  will  not  be  opened  to-night.' 

'  Verily,  then,  I  may  enter,'  said  Kai,  '  for  there  is 
no  better  burnisher  of  swords  than  I.' 

'  This  will  I  tell  Gwrnach  the  giant,  and  I  will  bring 
thee  his  answer.' 

'  Bid  the  man  come  before  me,'  cried  Gwrnach, 
when  the  porter  had  told  his  tale,  '  for  my  sword  stands 
much  in  need  of  polishing,'  so  Kai  passed  in  and  saluted 
Gwrnach  the  giant. 


364  THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

'  Is  it  true  what  I  hear  of  thee,  that  thou  canst 
burnish  swords  ?  ' 

'  It  is  true,'  answered  Kai.  Then  was  the  sword  of 
Gwrnach  brought  to  him. 

'  Shall  it  be  burnished  white  or  blue  ?  '  said  Kai, 
taking  a  whetstone  from  under  his  arm. 

*  As  thou  wilt,'  answered  the  giant,  and  speedily 
did  Kai  polish  half  the  sword.  The  giant  marvelled  at 
his  skill,  and  said  : 

'  It  is  a  wonder  that  such  a  man  as  thou  shouldst 
be  without  a  companion.' 

'  I  have  a  companion,  noble  sir,  but  he  has  no  skill 
in  this  art.' 

'  What  is  his  name  ?  '  asked  the  giant. 

'  Let  the  porter  go  forth,  and  I  will  tell  him  how  he 
may  know  him.  The  head  of  his  lance  will  leave  its  shaft, 
and  draw  blood  from  the  wind,  and  descend  upon  its  shaft 
again.'  So  the  porter  opened  the  gate  and  Bedwyr 
entered. 

Now  there  was  much  talk  amongst  those  who 
remained  without  when  the  gate  closed  upon  Bedwyr, 
and  Goreu,  son  of  Custennin,  prevailed  with  the  porter, 
and  he  and  his  companions  got  in  also  and  hid  them- 
selves. 

By  this  time  the  whole  of  the  sword  was  polished, 
and  Kai  gave  it  into  the  hand  of  Gwrnach  the  giant, 
who  felt  it  and  said  : 

'  Thy  work  is  good  ;  I  am  content.' 

Then  said  Kai  : 

'  It  is  thy  scabbard  that  hath  rusted  thy  sword  ; 
give  it  to  me  that  I  may  take  out  the  wooden  sides  of 
it  and  put  in  new  ones.'  And  he  took  the  scabbard  in 
one  hand  and  the  sword  in  the  other,  and  came  and 
stood  behind  the  giant,  as  if  he  would  have  sheathed 
the  sword  in  the  scabbard.  But  with  it  he  struck  a 
blow  at  the  head  of  the  giant,  and  it  rolled  from  his 
body.  After  that  they  despoiled  the  castle  of  its  gold 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN  365 

and  jewels,  and  returned,  bearing  the  sword  of  the 
giant,  'to  Arthur's  court. 

They  told  Arthur  how  they  had  sped,  and  they  all 
took  counsel  together,  and  agreed  that  they  must  set 
out  on  the  quest  for  Mabon  the  son  of  Modron,  and 
Gwrhyr,  who  knew  the  languages  of  beasts  and  of  birds, 
went  with  them.  So  they  journeyed  until  they  came 
to  the  nest  of  an  ousel,  and  Gwrhyr  spoke  to  her. 

'  Tell  me  if  thou  knowest  aught  of  Mabon  the  son  of 
Modron,  who  was  taken  when  three  nights  old  from 
between  his  mother  and  the  wall.' 

And  the  ousel  answered  : 

'  When  I  first  came  here  I  was  a  young  bird,  and 
there  was  a  smith's  anvil  in  this  place.  But  from  that 
time  no  work  has  been  done  upon  it,  save  that  every 
evening  I  have  pecked  at  it,  till  now  there  is  not  so  much 
as  the  size  of  a  nut  remaining  thereof.  Yet  all  that  time 
I  have  never  once  heard  of  the  man  you  name.  Still, 
there  is  a  race  of  beasts  older  than  I,  and  I  will  guide 
you  to  them.' 

So  the  ousel  flew  before  them,  till  she  reached  the 
stag  of  Redynvre  ;  but  when  they  inquired  of  the  stag 
whether  he  knew  aught  of  Mabon  he  shook  his  head. 

'  When  first  I  came  hither,'  said  he,  '  the  plain  was 
bare  save  for  one  oak  sapling,  which  grew  up  to  be  an 
oak  with  a  hundred  branches.  All  that  is  left  of  that  oak 
is  a  withered  stump,  but  never  once  have  I  heard  of  the 
man  you  name.  Nevertheless,  as  you  are  Arthur's  men, 
I  will  guide  you  to  the  place  wrhere  there  is  an  animal 
older  than  I ' ;  and  the  stag  ran  before  them  till  he 
reached  the  owl  of  Cwm  Cawlwyd.  But  when  they 
inquired  of  the  owl  if  he  knew  aught  of  Mabon  he  shook 
his  head. 

'  When  first  I  came  hither,'  said  he,  '  the  valley  was 
a  wooded  glen  ;  then  a  race  of  men  came  and  rooted  it 
up.  After  that  there  grew  a  second  wood,  and  then  a 
third,  which  you  see.  Look  at  my  wings  also — are  they 


366 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 


not  withered  stumps  ?  Yet  until  to-day  I  have  never 
heard  of  the  man  you  name.  Still,  I  will  guide  you 
to  the  oldest  animal  in  the  world,  and  the  one  that  has 
travelled  most,  the  eagle  of  Gwern  Abbey.'  And  he 
flew  before  them,  as  fast  as  his  old  wings  would  carry 
him,  till  he  reached  the  eagle  of  Gwern  Abbey,  but  when 
they  inquired  of  the  eagle  whether  he  knew  aught  of 
Mabon  he  shook  his  head. 


Ootn. 
(ore)>on<.oftS  tfr  f>te_QvjL  of 


'  When  I  first  came  hither,'  said  the  eagle,  '  there 
was  a  rock  here,  and  every  evening  I  pecked  at  the  stars 
from  the  top  of  it.  Now,  behold,  it  is  not  even  a  span 
high  !  But  only  once  have  I  heard  of  the  man  you 
name,  and  that  was  when  I  went  in  search  of  food  as 
far  as  Llyn  Llyw.  I  swooped  down  upon  a  salmon,  and 
struck  my  claws  into  him,  but  he  drew  me  down  under 


367 

water  till  scarcely  could  I  escape  from  him.  Then  I 
summoned  all  my  kindred  to  destroy  him,  but  he  made 
peace  with  me,  and  I  took  fifty  fish  spears  from  his  back. 
Unless  he  may  know  something  of  the  man  whom  you 
seek  I  cannot  tell  who  may.  But  I  will  guide  you  to 
the  place  where  he  is.' 

So  they  followed  the  eagle,  who  flew  before  them, 
though  so  high  was  he  in  the  sky,  it  was  often  hard  to 
mark  his  flight.  At  length  he  stopped  above  a  deep 
pool  in  a  river. 

'  Salmon  of  Llyn  Llyw,'  he  called,  '  I  have  come  to 
thee  with  an  embassy  from  Arthur  to  inquire  if  thou 
knowest  aught  concerning  Mabon  the  son  of  Modron  ?  ' 
And  the  salmon  answered  : 

'  As  much  as  I  know  I  will  tell  thee.  With  every  tide 
I  go  up  the  river,  till  I  reach  the  walls  of  Gloucester, 
and  there  have  I  found  such  wrong  as  I  never  found 
elsewhere.  And  that  you  may  see  that  what  I  say  is 
true  let  two  of  you  go  thither  on  my  shoulders.'  So 
Kai  and  Gwrhyr  went  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  salmon, 
and  were  carried  under  the  walls  of  the  prison,  from 
which  proceeded  the  sound  of  great  weeping. 

'  Who  is  it  that  thus  laments  in  this  house  of  stone  ?  ' 

'  It  is  I,  Mabon  the  son  of  Modron.' 

'  Will  silver  or  gold  bring  thy  freedom,  or  only 
battle  and  fighting  ?  '  asked  GwThyr  again. 

'  By  fighting  alone  shall  I  be  set  free,'  said  Mabon. 

Then  they  sent  a  messenger  to  Arthur  to  tell  him  that 
Mabon  was  found,  and  he  brought  all  his  warriors  to  the 
castle  of  Gloucester  and  fell  fiercely  upon  it ;  while  Kai 
and  Bedwyr  went  on  the  shoulders  of  the  salmon  to  the 
gate  of  the  dungeon,  and  broke  it  down  and  carried  away 
Mabon.  And  he  now  being  free  returned  home  with 
Arthur. 

After  this,  on  a  certain  day,  as  Gwythyr  was  walking 
across  a  mountain  he  heard  a  grievous  cry,  and  he 


368  THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN 

hastened  towards  it.  In  a  little  valley  he  saw  the 
heather  burning  and  the  fire  spreading  fast  towards  an 
anthill,  and  all  the  ants  were  hurrying  to  and  fro,  not 
knowing  whither  to  go.  Gwythyr  had  pity  on  them, 
and  put  out  the  fire,  and  in  gratitude  the  ants  brought 
him  the  nine  bushels  of  flax  seed  which  Yspaddaden 
Penkawr  required  of  Kilwch.  And  many  of  the  other 
marvels  were  done  likewise  by  Arthur  and  his  knights, 
and  at  last  it  came  to  the  fight  with  Trwyth  the  boar, 
to  obtain  the  comb  and  the  scissors  and  the  razor  that 
lay  between  his  ears.  But  hard  was  the  boar  to  catch, 
and  fiercely  did  he  fight  when  Arthur's  men  gave  him 
battle,  so  that  many  of  them  were  slain. 

Up  and  down  the  country  went  Trwyth  the  boar, 
and  Arthur  followed  after  him,  till  they  came  to  the 
Severn  sea.  There  three  knights  caught  his  feet  un- 
awares and  plunged  him  into  the  water,  while  one 
snatched  the  razor  from  him,  and  another  seized  the 
scissors.  But  before  they  laid  hold  of  the  comb  he  had 
shaken  them  all  off,  and  neither  man  nor  horse  nor  dog 
could  reach  him  till  he  came  to  Cornwall,  whither  Arthur 
had  sworn  he  should  not  go.  Thither  Arthur  followed 
after  him  with  his  knights,  and  if  it  had  been  hard  to 
win  the  razor  and  the  scissors,  the  struggle  for  the  comb 
was  fiercer  still.  Often  it  seemed  as  if  the  boar  would 
be  the  victor,  but  at  length  Arthur  prevailed,  and  the 
boar  was  driven  into  the  sea.  And  whether  he  wras 
drowned  or  where  he  went  no  man  knows  to  this  day. 

In  the  end  all  the  marvels  were  done,  and  Kilwch 
set  forward,  and  with  him  Goreu,  the  son  of  Custennin, 
to  Yspaddaden  Penkawr,  bearing  in  their  hands  the 
razor,  the  scissors  and  the  comb,  and  Yspaddaden 
Penkawr  was  shaved  by  Kaw. 

'  Is  thy  daughter  mine  now  ?  '  asked  Kilwch. 

'  She  is  thine,'  answered  Yspaddaden,  *  but  it  is 
Arthur  and  none  other  who  has  won  her  for  thee.  Of 


THE   WINNING  OF  OLWEN  369 

my  own  free  will  thou  shouldst  never  have  had  her, 
for  now  I  must  lose  my  life.'  And  as  he  spake  Goreu 
the  son  of  Custennin  cut  off  his  head,  as  it  had  been 
ordained,  and  Arthur's  hosts  returned  each  man  to  his 
own  country. 

From  the '  Mabinogion. 


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